ABSTRACT
The structure and function of biological membranes depend critically on their thermo-mechanical properties. The main goal of the brief historical survey of membrane physics presented in this chapter is to outline the development of some of the novel experimental techniques and theoretical approaches that have contributed to our current understanding of membrane physics. Following a brief historical background in the first section, the next three sections are concerned with the properties of lipid membranes as two-dimensional self-assembling systems and their polymorphism, emphasizing the formation of functional domains through lipid sorting by integral proteins, and the analogous influence of peripheral proteins through electrostatic-hydrophobic interactions. Subsequent sections emphasize the effects of lipid mobility, the importance of membrane defects, and the elastic behavior of biological membranes. This chapter ends with a brief summary of cell adhesion and a short outlook into future membrane research.
