Biological plasma membranes express a plethora of unique lipids, sterols, and proteins and exhibit greater complexity than model lipid bilayer systems. At temperatures above the melting point the lipi...Biological plasma membranes express a plethora of unique lipids, sterols, and proteins and exhibit greater complexity than model lipid bilayer systems. At temperatures above the melting point the lipid bilayer exists in the liquid phase and at lower temperatures, the lipid bilayer enters the gel phase. In the gel phase, the lipid bilayer undergoes a fundamental molecular reorganization characterized by an increase in order, a loss of lateral mobility and a change in the broad topology of the mem
