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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...
Membrane Lipids01:32

Membrane Lipids

Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in the inner mitochondrial membrane or as high as 80% in the myelin sheath present around the nerve cells.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems01:27

Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems

A pressure-composition phase diagram explicitly describes the behavior of an ideal solution of two volatile liquids under varying pressures and compositions. A pressure-composition diagram has two main curves. The bubble point curve represents the plot of pressure versus liquid mole fraction. It indicates the pressure at which the first bubble of vapor forms from the liquid phase as the system pressure decreases.The dew point curve is the pressure versus vapor mole fraction. It indicates the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer
07:54

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer

Published on: October 15, 2015

Percolation properties of two-component, two-phase phospholipid bilayers

W L Vaz1

  • 1Unidade de Ciências Exactas e Humanas, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.

Molecular Membrane Biology
|January 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Binary lipid mixtures often separate into distinct phases. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) reveals how solid domains impede fluid lipid diffusion, indicating phase separation and percolation thresholds in lipid bilayers.

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Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

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Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer
07:54

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer

Published on: October 15, 2015

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07:18

Lipid Bilayer Experiments with Contact Bubble Bilayers for Patch-Clampers

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Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
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Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Published on: August 3, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Binary lipid mixtures commonly exhibit component immiscibility, particularly in the solid phase, but also in the fluid phase.
  • Understanding phase behavior and diffusion barriers in lipid bilayers is crucial for various biological and material applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-range translational diffusion of fluid-phase lipids in coexisting solid and fluid lipid bilayer phases.
  • To characterize the nature of diffusion barriers presented by solid-phase domains using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique to measure lipid diffusion over micrometers.
  • Examined lipid bilayers composed of binary lipid mixtures at varying temperatures and compositions, including coexisting solid and fluid phases.
  • Analyzed diffusion behavior in relation to the percolation threshold between fluid and solid phase domains.

Main Results:

  • Solid-phase domains act as impenetrable barriers to fluid-phase lipid diffusion.
  • FRAP experiments distinguished between non-percolating (island) and percolating (sea) solid domains based on diffusion coefficients and fluorescence recovery.
  • The position of the percolation threshold allowed estimation of phase mass fractions and solid domain symmetry.

Conclusions:

  • Component immiscibility is prevalent in binary lipid mixtures, forming distinct solid and fluid domains.
  • Solid domains significantly restrict lipid diffusion, with the nature of these barriers (percolating vs. non-percolating) detectable by FRAP.
  • FRAP analysis of diffusion and percolation thresholds provides insights into lipid phase behavior and domain structure.