Growth of the Concept of the Pauciolecular Membrane

The concept of the paucimolecular membrane derived in the first place from studies, such as those of Gorter and Grendel, on the azmourit of fatty material that could be extracted from the cell, based on the assumption that this was mainly concenitrated at its surface. These studies, and other ones, led to the concept of the bimolecular leaflet of lipid as the fundamental basis of membrane structure. Various considerations demanded, also, the presenee of protein as an intimate part of the structure. The sinmple structure put forward can account for many of the features of cell permneability, but, Awhere facilitated diffusion is concerned, we must invoke the presence of specialized regions, perhaps pores, that have specific structures into which favored molecules and ionis are able to fit. If this is true, variations in the gross anialysis of cell nmembraines are unlikely to be correlated wvith gross variations in permeability characteristics; inistead w-e must seek, by indirect methods, to lay bare the chemical features of these specialized regions, which dloubtless share many of the characteristics of enzymes.