Parametric analysis of membrane characteristics and membrane structure

The work tests the applicability of two empirical equations to the analysis of membranes, and is motivated by a long recognized need for a characterization of membrane phenomenology by a physical model. Empirical relations are often used to describe the phenomenology of complicated systems and are also used as starting points for a detailed molecular analysis of systems like solutions and liquids. We apply here coefficients of the empirical Collander's equation, which is related to the physiological characteristics of membranes, and of the Barclay-Butler relation, which was successfully used as a starting point for the construction of a molecular model of solutions. These coefficients we use to analyze the phospholipid membrane. In the analysis we use three sets of solutes: noble gases, paraffins and aliphatic alcohols and test whether conclusions drawn from simple, but basic, physiochemical considerations agree with results obtained by more direct methods. We also ask ourselves what information can be obtained by the parametric analysis which is not available already by other methods. The results of our analysis agree with results obtained by direct physical methods and bear a close relation to membrane physiology. This type of analysis may therefore bridge a gap between biological phenomenology and purely physical methods.