Lipid Rafts/Membrane Rafts

Lipid rafts or membrane rafts are membrane domains with specialized lipid and protein compositions. They are generally rich in sphingolipids and sterols, and their lipids exist in a tightly packed physical state relative to the reminder of the membrane. Difficulties in raft detection have made the subject of lipid raft formation and properties in living cells controversial. This article summarizes the properties of rafts and the methods used to detect rafts, together with their strengths and weaknesses. Proposed raft functions are summarized.