The conformation of membranes.
Membranes composed of amphiphilic molecules are highly flexible surfaces that determine the architecture of biological systems and provide a basic structural element for complex fluids such as microemulsions. Physical theories have been developed to describe many aspects of their conformational behaviour, such as the preferred shapes and shape transformations of closed vesicles, and the shape fluctuations, random-surface configurations, and adhesion and unbinding of interacting membranes. Understanding of these phenomena has been much improved through fruitful interactions between theory and experiment.
Lipowsky
R
R
Institut für Festkörperforschung, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany.
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004548:Elasticity; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011108:Polymers
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D011108:Polymers