The permeability to water of bimolecular lipid membranes
Abstract
The permeability to water and deuterium oxide of bimolecular lipid membranes has been measured by an osmotic flow method. Sodium chloride, sucrose and urea have been used as the solutes, in various concentrations and concentration differences. Under these conditions the lipid bimolecular films appeared to behave as semipermeable membranes and showed a constant permeability to water of approximately 1·-9 × 10 -3 cm/sec. It has been shown that the results can be accounted for semi-quantitatively in terms of a simple model.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Theoretical Biology
- Pub Date:
- 1966
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0022-5193(66)90099-3
- Bibcode:
- 1966JThBi..11..370H