<title>Laser investigations on the role of cholesterol in some liquid crystal biological membrane models</title>

Abstract

The influence of the cholesterol amount in mixtures with fatty acids, in balance with the action of different external perturbations, is the aim of this paper. Samples were investigated as cells containing thin films in the smectic C liquid crystal state, sandwiched between transparent electrodes. D.c. electric fields, weak laser beams, thermal neutrons flows were applied on the samples, and their response was studied.