Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.Fatty acids tails of phospholipids can be either saturated or...
Membrane Fluidity01:26

Membrane Fluidity

Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...
IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration01:16

IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration

A covalently bonded heteronuclear diatomic molecule can be modeled as two vibrating masses connected by a spring. The vibrational frequency of the bond can be expressed using an equation derived from Hooke's law, which describes how the force applied to stretch or compress a spring is proportional to the displacement of the spring. In this case, the atoms behave like masses, and the bond acts like a spring.
According to Hooke's law, the vibrational frequency is directly proportional to the...
IR Spectroscopy: Molecular Vibration Overview01:24

IR Spectroscopy: Molecular Vibration Overview

When Infrared (IR) radiation passes through a covalently bonded molecule, the bonds transition from lower to higher vibrational levels. The fundamental vibrational motions that result in infrared absorption can be classified as stretching or bending vibrations.
Stretching vibrations are vibrational motions that occur along the bond line, changing the bond length or distance between two bonded atoms. They are further distinguished as symmetric or asymmetric. In symmetric stretching, the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Effects of Lipid Head Group and Acyl Chain Packing on Interactions of the Anesthetic Drug Propofol with Model Cell Membranes at the Air-Water Interface.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2026
Same author

Application of Micro- and Nano-Spectroscopic Techniques for Systematic Studies of Surface Features of the Barley Leaf Cuticle.

ACS omega·2025
Same author

Isolation of Mixed Compositions of Cellulose Nanocrystals, Microcrystalline Cellulose, and Lignin Nanoparticles from Wood Pulps.

ACS omega·2023
Same author

Reactive Oxygen Species Formed by Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Physiological Media-A Review of Reactions of Importance to Nanotoxicity and Proposal for Categorization.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2022
Same author

Influence of natural organic matter on the transformation of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and their ecotoxic potency in vitro.

NanoImpact·2022
Same author

Adsorption of bio-organic eco-corona molecules reduces the toxic response to metallic nanoparticles in Daphnia magna.

Scientific reports·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
09:43

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Published on: August 13, 2019

Molecular Ordering and Hydration in Model Lipid Rafts Studied by Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy.

Jonas Hedberg1,2, C Magnus Johnson1

  • 1Division of Surface and Corrosion Science, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|June 26, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy revealed that mixtures of deuterated DSPC (d-DSPC), cholesterol, and GlcCer form well-ordered structures, mimicking lipid rafts. The molecular orientation remained consistent across mixtures, with d-DSPC influencing surface water hydration.

More Related Videos

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)
10:59

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)

Published on: April 6, 2012

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
10:15

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 22, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
09:43

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Published on: August 13, 2019

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)
10:59

Determination of Lipid Raft Partitioning of Fluorescently-tagged Probes in Living Cells by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)

Published on: April 6, 2012

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
10:15

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 22, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Surface Chemistry
  • Spectroscopy

Background:

  • Lipid rafts are membrane microdomains crucial for cellular functions.
  • Understanding the molecular organization within lipid rafts is key to deciphering their biological roles.
  • Model systems are essential for studying the complex composition of lipid rafts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular order, orientation, and hydration of model lipid rafts.
  • To analyze mixtures of deuterated DSPC (d-DSPC), cholesterol, and GlcCer.
  • To determine the structural properties of these compounds under varying surface pressures.

Main Methods:

  • Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS) was used to probe molecular properties.
  • Experiments were conducted on monolayers of d-DSPC, cholesterol, and GlcCer on water.
  • Surface pressures were varied (4, 30, and 55 mN/m) to simulate different conditions.

Main Results:

  • Hydrocarbon chains in all mixtures and at all surface pressures showed well-ordered structures with minimal gauche defects.
  • The orientation of the terminal methyl group of d-DSPC was consistent across all tested mixtures.
  • The water -OH stretching region indicated that d-DSPC, as the charged component, significantly oriented surface water molecules.

Conclusions:

  • Mixtures of d-DSPC, cholesterol, and GlcCer can form ordered structures characteristic of lipid rafts.
  • The molecular architecture within these model rafts is stable and consistent.
  • Deuterated DSPC plays a significant role in structuring interfacial water due to its charged nature.