Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Frye Edidin Experiment

In course

BIO-105: Cellular biology and biochemistry for engineers

Basic course in biochemistry as well as cellular and molecular biology for non-life science students enrolling at the Master or PhD thesis level from various engineering disciplines. It reviews essential notions necessary for a training in biology-related ...

Description

This lecture covers the Frye & Edidin experiment, where mouse and human cells were fused using Sendai virus to study membrane protein distribution. The results supported the fluid mosaic model, replacing the sandwich model.

Instructor

Romain Zufferey

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Biology

Cell biology: Membrane biology

Related concepts (32)

Cell membrane

The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of a cell from the outside environment (the extracellular space). The cell membrane consists of a lipid bilayer, made up of two layers of phospholipids with cholesterols (a lipid component) interspersed between them, maintaining appropriate membrane fluidity at various temperatures.

Membrane protein

Membrane proteins are common proteins that are part of, or interact with, biological membranes. Membrane proteins fall into several broad categories depending on their location. Integral membrane proteins are a permanent part of a cell membrane and can either penetrate the membrane (transmembrane) or associate with one or the other side of a membrane (integral monotopic). Peripheral membrane proteins are transiently associated with the cell membrane.

Lipid bilayer

The lipid bilayer (or phospholipid bilayer) is a thin polar membrane made of two layers of lipid molecules. These membranes are flat sheets that form a continuous barrier around all cells. The cell membranes of almost all organisms and many viruses are made of a lipid bilayer, as are the nuclear membrane surrounding the cell nucleus, and membranes of the membrane-bound organelles in the cell. The lipid bilayer is the barrier that keeps ions, proteins and other molecules where they are needed and prevents them from diffusing into areas where they should not be.

Fluid mosaic model

The fluid mosaic model explains various observations regarding the structure of functional cell membranes. According to this biological model, there is a lipid bilayer (two molecules thick layer consisting primarily of amphipathic phospholipids) in which protein molecules are embedded. The phospholipid bilayer gives fluidity and elasticity to the membrane. Small amounts of carbohydrates are also found in the cell membrane. The biological model, which was devised by Seymour Jonathan Singer and Garth L.

Lipid bilayer phase behavior

One property of a lipid bilayer is the relative mobility (fluidity) of the individual lipid molecules and how this mobility changes with temperature. This response is known as the phase behavior of the bilayer. Broadly, at a given temperature a lipid bilayer can exist in either a liquid or a solid phase. The solid phase is commonly referred to as a “gel” phase. All lipids have a characteristic temperature at which they undergo a transition (melt) from the gel to liquid phase.

Related lectures (35)

Membrane Structure: Gorter & Grendel Experiment

Delves into the Gorter & Grendel experiment on plasma membrane structure using red blood cells.

Lipids and Cell Membranes / Carbohydrates

Explores enzymes, evolution, lipids, membranes, carbohydrates, membrane proteins, and enzyme inhibition mechanisms.

Lipids: Structure and Function

Explores the diverse structures and functions of lipids, including triglycerides, phosphoglycerolipids, and steroids, focusing on their roles in biological membranes and signaling pathways.

Lipids and Cell Membranes: Structure and Functions

Explores the structure and functions of lipids and cell membranes, including fatty acids, phosphoglycerides, and glycoproteins.

Cell Membrane Fusion: Frye & Edidin Experiment