Abstract
In this work, some implications of a recent model for the mechanical behavior of biological membranes (Deseri et al. in Continuum Mech Thermodyn 20(5):255-273, 2008) are exploited by means of a prototypical one-dimensional problem. We show that the knowledge of the membrane stretching elasticity permits to establish a precise connection among surface tension, bending rigidities and line tension during phase transition phenomena. For a specific choice of the stretching energy density, we evaluate these quantities in a membrane with coexistent fluid phases, showing a satisfactory comparison with the available experimental measurements. Finally, we determine the thickness profile inside the boundary layer where the order-disorder transition is observed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1233-1242 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2013 |
Keywords
- Bending rigidity
- Biomembranes
- Line tension
- Lipid bilayers
- Phase transitions
- Stretching elasticity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Modeling and Simulation