ABSTRACT
Biopolymers, biological membranes, and other cellular components
are electrically charged. Electrostatic interactions in biological sys-
tems are therefore of fundamental importance in understanding the
interactions between charged molecules and membrane surfaces.
Examples of electrically charged systems from biology include
self-assembling dispersions such as spherical (inverse) micelles
(Fig. 6.1), phospholipid vesicles (Fig. 6.6), and microemulsions
(Israelachvili, 1997; Safran, 1994). Such objects are formed by
aggregation of amphiphilic molecules in such a way that the
hydrophilic parts of the molecules are in contact with electrolyte
solutions. Microemulsions are formed in mixtures of amphiphiles,
water, and oil, where domains of water (in oil) or oil (in water) are
separated by surfactant monolayers.
