LIPID RAFTS IN BINARY LIPID/CHOLESTEROL BILAYERS

The lipid membrane was once modelled as a homogeneous two-dimensional fluid, however it is in fact a patchy, inhomogeneous state of matter. Inhomogeneities in membranes are now understood to be crucial to their function. These so-called lipid rafts are described as lateral lipid assemblies enriched in cholesterol, which have a greater degree of molecular order. They are believed to play a role in membrane bound protein insertion, sorting, and …