Modern Research
Continued research has revealed some shortcomings and simplifications in the original theory. For instance, channel proteins are described as having a continuous water channel through their center, which is now known to be generally untrue (an exception being nuclear pore complexes, which have a 9 nm open water channel). Also, free diffusion on the cell surface is often limited to areas a few tens of nanometers across. These limits to lateral fluidity are due to cytoskeleton anchors, lipid phase separation and aggregated protein structures. Contemporary studies also indicate that much less of the plasma membrane is “bare” lipid than previously thought and in fact much of the cell surface may be protein-associated. In spite of these limitations, the fluid mosaic model remains a popular and often referenced general notion for the structure of biological membranes.
Read more about this topic: History Of Cell Membrane Theory
Famous quotes containing the words modern and/or research:
“Chaucer is fresh and modern still, and no dust settles on his true passages. It lightens along the line, and we are reminded that flowers have bloomed, and birds sung, and hearts beaten in England. Before the earnest gaze of the reader, the rust and moss of time gradually drop off, and the original green life is revealed. He was a homely and domestic man, and did breathe quite as modern men do.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The research on gender and morality shows that women and men looked at the world through very different moral frameworks. Men tend to think in terms of “justice” or absolute “right and wrong,” while women define morality through the filter of how relationships will be affected. Given these basic differences, why would men and women suddenly agree about disciplining children?”
—Ron Taffel (20th century)