Talmudic Question #57

by Frank Harold

Does anyone know of a solid example of a biological membrane that arises de novo, rather than by the extension of a pre-existing membrane?

Comments

[elio]

I don’t know the origin of the membranes which eventually form the vaccinia (or other poxvirus) envelope, but it would be interesting to take a look at this.

Ken Berns

[Nathan Myers]

Let me see if I understand the Question correctly: Are you suggesting, Talmudically, that perhaps every closed membrane found in the totality of modern cells amounts to a pinched-off fragment of a single ur-membrane, continuously grown lipid-by-lipid, that formed billions of years ago?

If so, we might see genes and other cellular machinery as a way that The Membrane has discovered to help extend itself.

[Jeff Mahr]

How small do the bits of Golgi membrane get during mitosis? Obviously not de novo, but in the right direction at least.