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1 Introduction

Figure 1.6: The structures of the membrane lipids (mostly phospholipids) and their fatty acids determine

the mechanical properties of the membrane.

crystal phase maintains its shape and order at all times, while the individual fatty acids

actually change places throughout the structure, thus behaving like a moving liquid.

A liquid crystal phase can still “melt”, i. e., disintegrate, but the phase transition is not

a melting point, but a glass transition temperature, Tg. The more ordered the phase is,