Cellular lipid bilayer (None commonly used)

The cellular lipid bilayer is the fundamental structural component of biological membranes, including the plasma membrane and organelle boundaries in eukaryotic cells. It consists of two layers of amphiphilic phospholipid molecules, with hydrophilic heads oriented toward the aqueous environments inside and outside of the cell, and hydrophobic fatty acid tails tucked into the interior, forming a continuous hydrophobic barrier. Cholesterol, glycolipids, and integral membrane proteins are also key structural and functional components, modulating fluidity, permeability, and creating platforms for cell signaling and transport processes. The lipid bilayer is essential for maintaining cellular integrity and regulating traffic into and out of the cell, but is not itself a therapeutic target; rather, it is the substrate for pharmacologically relevant membrane proteins and drug delivery vehicles. Alterations in lipid bilayer composition or structure underlie several pathological states, but medical interventions address these changes through targeting the associated membrane proteins, enzymes, or delivery strategies, not the bilayer itself.

Other names

Lipid bilayerphospholipid bilayercell membrane bilayerplasma membrane bilayer

Drug delivery systems (e.g., liposomes) use bilayer structure for encapsulation and release of drugs Few drugs (detergents, some peptides) disrupt or permeabilize lipid bilayers nonspecifically