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Related Concept Videos

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...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:34

Fluid Mosaic Model

The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.LipidsThe most...
Membrane Domains01:18

Membrane Domains

The membrane domains concentrate specific lipids and proteins at one place within the membrane, which helps in cell signaling, adhesion, and other critical cellular processes. These domains can differ in size, composition, function, and lifespan.
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the anterior...
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries markers that...
What are Membranes?01:54

What are Membranes?

A key characteristic of life is the ability to separate the external environment from the internal space. To do this, cells have evolved semi-permeable membranes that regulate the passage of biological molecules. Additionally, the cell membrane defines a cell’s shape and interactions with the external environment. Eukaryotic cell membranes also serve to compartmentalize the internal space into organelles, including the endomembrane structures of the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi...

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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics
10:31

A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics

Published on: September 2, 2020

Imaging functional membrane composition and organisation.

Chandrima Patra1, Satyajit Mayor2

  • 1Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Bangalore, India.

Current Opinion in Chemical Biology
|July 14, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Scientists are developing new tools to visualize the plasma membrane's composition and biophysical properties in living cells. These advances in fluorescence and label-free imaging offer insights into cellular function and organization.

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A Model Membrane Platform for Reconstituting Mitochondrial Membrane Dynamics
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Spot Variation Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy for Analysis of Molecular Diffusion at the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells
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Published on: November 12, 2020

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Imaging Plasma Membrane Deformations With pTIRFM

Published on: April 2, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The plasma membrane, a lipid bilayer, exhibits lateral heterogeneity and transbilayer asymmetry.
  • These variations in lipid and protein distribution influence membrane properties like packing, polarity, viscosity, tension, and curvature.
  • These properties are critical for regulating membrane protein conformation, nanoscale organization, and cellular signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in visualizing plasma membrane composition and biophysical properties.
  • To highlight techniques for studying membrane organization and its link to cellular function.
  • To focus on sensing mechanisms, design principles, and applications of imaging modalities.

Main Methods:

  • Fluorescence-based methods for readout of membrane composition and properties.
  • Mass spectrometry for label-free spatial mapping of membrane composition.
  • Vibrational imaging strategies for label-free mapping of membrane structure.

Main Results:

  • Emergence of a diverse toolkit for visualizing membrane properties in living cells and tissues.
  • Advances in fluorescence imaging provide sensitive detection of membrane composition.
  • Label-free techniques like mass spectrometry and vibrational imaging enable spatial mapping of membrane structure and composition.

Conclusions:

  • New imaging strategies are crucial for understanding the tightly controlled composition and organization of the plasma membrane.
  • These techniques provide insights into how membrane properties regulate protein conformation, organization, and signaling.
  • Continued development of these tools will advance our understanding of cellular function at the membrane level.