Surface chemistry. The modification of membranes by surface-active agents

Abstract

The intense cytological studies of the last two decades have shown that cells, as well as most of the organelles within them, are covered with lipoprotein membranes (see Section 4.1). It is now widely thought that life is possible only because of the presence of these biphasic membranes (lipophilic within, and hydrophilic on both outer surfaces), which provide for the separation of reactants. They also impose, on the sequence of reactions, an order that would otherwise be almost impossible to arrange. Often in, but sometimes apart from, these membranes, enzymes offer surfaces of the very greatest biological importance.