Fluidity of Membrane Lipids

Abstract

As soon as our lab decided to examine the role of lipid biochemistry in controlling membrane fluidity, my colleagues and I had to face a fascinating challenge. Each of the terms, “lipid”, “membrane”, and “fluidity”, is laden with allusions, elusions, and illusions. Each term is often regarded as a general (almost poetic) conceptual term without a specific, obligatory, precise definition. Thus the terms may indicate different things when used in different contexts or by different scientists. As we tried to design appropriate experiments on the behavior of membrane lipids, we set about defining more carefully those allusive terms to ensure that our measurements of the elusive properties did not lead us to illusive positions. The following comments briefly describe some of the underlying concepts of fluidity that we’ve shared with the younger workers in our lab as we tried to develop a deeper, more functional understanding. The comments provide a rather primitive overview that I hope will be helpful in assimilating further information.