Open AccessElectron Diffraction of Wet Phospholipid Bilayers
Author(s) -
S. W. Hui,
Donald F. Parsons,
M. Cowden
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.71.12.5068
Subject(s) - electron diffraction , diffraction , crystallite , crystallography , monolayer , electron microscope , phospholipid , materials science , reflection high energy electron diffraction , molecule , lipid bilayer , scattering , scanning electron microscope , chemistry , membrane , optics , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , physics , biochemistry , composite material
The structure of fully hydrated dipalmitoyl lecithin single bilayers, and monolayers deposited on Formvar substrates are studied by electron diffraction, using a hydration stage fitted to an electron microscope. Selective area diffraction patterns of these films indicate that there are domains consisting of mosaics of crystallites of hexagonally packed lipid chains. The size of these domains are typically several μm in diameter. The diffraction intensity agrees with that calculated from the electron scattering factor of the hydrocarbon chains of the lipid molecule.