Table 1.1 Mean (dynamic) packing shapes of various surfactants and the structure they assemble into in aqueous
solutions.
Adapted from Israelachvili (2011). # 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The critical parameter v/a 0 l c ,
where v, a 0 , and l c are, respectively, the overall volume, polar head surface, and length of the hydrated
molecule, taking into account thermally induced conformational excursions and electrostatic repulsion,
defines the nature of the assemblies. Detergents, whose polar head is large as compared to their hydrophobic tail, form more or less spherical ①, lenticular, or cylindrical ② micelles; phosphatidylcholine and
membrane-forming lipid mixtures, whose shape is, on average, close to cylindrical, assemble into bilayers
③; and lipids with a relatively small polar head, like phosphatidylethanolamine, when pure, form inverted
micelles ④
1.2 Lipid Bilayers
5
solutions.
Adapted from Israelachvili (2011). # 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The critical parameter v/a 0 l c ,
where v, a 0 , and l c are, respectively, the overall volume, polar head surface, and length of the hydrated
molecule, taking into account thermally induced conformational excursions and electrostatic repulsion,
defines the nature of the assemblies. Detergents, whose polar head is large as compared to their hydrophobic tail, form more or less spherical ①, lenticular, or cylindrical ② micelles; phosphatidylcholine and
membrane-forming lipid mixtures, whose shape is, on average, close to cylindrical, assemble into bilayers
③; and lipids with a relatively small polar head, like phosphatidylethanolamine, when pure, form inverted
micelles ④
1.2 Lipid Bilayers
5