title: The dielectric constant of phospholipid bilayers and the permeability of membranes to ions.
abstract: The Born charging equation predicts that the permeability of a phospholipid bilayer membrane to ions should depend markedly on the dielectric constant of the membrane. Increasing the dielectric constant of an artificial bilayer increases its permeability to perchlorate or thiocyanate by a factor of 1000, to a value comparable to that of mitochondrial membranes.
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010472:Perchlorates; D010539:Permeability; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013861:Thiocyanates
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010472:Perchlorates; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013861:Thiocyanates