Textbook of Membrane Biology

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This book provides a comprehensive overview of the basic principles, concepts, techniques and latest advances in the field of biomembranes and membrane-associated processes. With new emerging technologies and bioinformatics tools, this is a promising area for future study and research. The book discusses the composition, fluidity and dynamic nature of phospholipid bilayers, which vary with cell/organelle type and function. It describes the various types of transport proteins that facilitate the transport of polar and nonpolar molecules across the membrane actively or passively via ion-channels or through porins. It also explores the many cellular functions membranes participate (1) energy transduction, which includes the electron transport chain in inner membrane of mitochondria and bacterial cytoplasmic membrane and photosynthetic electron transport in thylakoid membranes in chloroplast and photosynthetic bacterial membranes; (2) cell–cell communication involving various signal transduction pathways triggered by activated membrane receptors; (3) cell–cell interactions involving various types of adhesion and receptor proteins; (4) nerve transmission involving opening and closing of voltage gated ionic channels; and (5) intracellular transport involving the processes of endocytosis, exocytosis, vesicular transport of solutes between intracellular compartments, membrane fusion and membrane biogenesis.