Interaction between Electrolyte Ions and the Surface of a Cell Lipid Membrane

Pekker M and Shneider MN

Abstract

This article deals with the interaction of the electrolyte ions (saline solution) with the surface of the cell membrane. It is shown that both sides of the bilayer phospholipid membrane surface are negatively charged and the ions, which are in direct contact with the membrane surface, are in relatively deep (as compared to kBT) potential wells, which are localized near the dipole heads of phospholipid membrane. It makes impossible for ions to slip along the membrane surface. This work supports the assumption that the ions located on the excitable axon membrane are tightly bound with it, which underlies the work. Therefore, the electric component of the microwave field, interacting with the ions, transfers energy and momentum directly to the membrane. This interaction leads to forced mechanical vibration of the membrane and, as a result, to a redistribution of transmembrane protein ionic channels. A developed approach can be used for estimations of the surface charges on the outer and inner membrane of the cell. A self-consistent model of the potential in solution is developed, and a stationary charge density on the membrane surface is found. Simple experiments for verifying the correctness of the considered model are proposed.