Researchers compared the flexibility of biological cell membranes with those of coacervates. These coacervates are liquid droplets formed by oppositely charged molecules. They found that the liquid membranes bend about 100 times more easily than traditional cell membranes.
Cells often use these liquid droplets to organize materials without barriers. Knowing that they bend much more easily helps scientists understand how these structures move and interact inside living cells. It also offers clues about how early life might have formed before complex membranes evolved.
✦ Some cell components are more flexible than we thought, reshaping our view of cellular organization.