Structure and physical properties of biomembranes and model membranes

Abstract

Structure and physical properties of biomembranes and model membranesBiomembranes belong to the most important structures of the cell and the cell organels. They play not only structural role of the barrier separating the external and internal part of the membrane but contain also various functional molecules, like receptors, ionic channels, carriers and enzymes. The cell membrane also preserves non-equillibrium state in a cell which is crucial for maintaining its excitability and other signaling functions. The growing interest to the biomembranes is also due to their unique physical properties. From physical point of view the biomembranes, that are composed of lipid bilayer into which are incorporated integral proteins and on their surface are anchored peripheral proteins and polysaccharides, represent liquid scrystal of smectic type. The biomembranes are characterized by anisotropy of structural and physical properties. The complex structure of biomembranes makes the study of their physical properties rather difficult. Therefore several model systems that mimic the structure of biomembranes were developed. Among them the lipid monolayers at an air-water interphase, bilayer lipid membranes (BLM), supported bilayer lipid membranes (sBLM) and liposomes are most known. This work is focused on the introduction into the "physical word" of the biomembranes and their models. After introduction to the membrane structure and the history of its establishment, the physical properties of the biomembranes and their models areare stepwise presented. The most focus is on the properties of lipid monolayers, BLM, sBLM and liposomes that were most detailed studied. This contribution has tutorial character that may be usefull for undergraduate and graduate students in the area of biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology and bioengineering, however it contains also original work of the author and his co-worker and PhD students, that may be usefull also for specialists working in the field of biomembranes and model membranes.