Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
The earliest plasma membrane experiments demonstrated a semi-permeable barrier using
osmotic measurements with erythrocytes (William Hewson, 1772). In the late 1890's Charles
Ernest Overton, the first true “membranologist”, found a parallel between a solute's
membrane permeability and its solubility in olive oil. From this he concluded that membranes
are a lipid-like barrier. In 1925 Gorter and Grendel brought together both approaches with
a seminal paper proposing a lipid bilayer as the cornerstone of membrane structure.
The most important molecule in membrane structure/function, and even life itself, is
water. Chapter 3 will discuss the multitude of physical properties that account for water's
essential role in membranes.
References
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