Laser study of thermal neutron irradiation influence on simple biological membrane models

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this papcr, thin films of some fatty acids and fatty acid-cholesterol mixtures were investigated asbiological membrane simple models, in order to establish the thermal neutron irradiation influence on these systems, while in the smectic C liquid crystal state. Samples are nonlinear dielectrics with a weak conduction,and nonlinear optical media. They generally present some memory effects. Cholesterol modifies these properties depending on its percentage in mixture and saturated or unsaturated character of the acid. After exposed to aflow of thermal neutrons, texture and behavioral changes, in terms of content of cholesterol in mixtures, and depending on the number of carbon atoms, were emphasized. Keywords: laser, nonlinear optical effects, biological membrane, liquid crystal, thermal neutrons, computer programs 1. INTRODUCTIONImplication of the liquid crystal (LC) state upon the changes in biological processes was already emphasized in the literature2'3. Nowadays, the biological membrane (BM) is considered as a bilamelar lipidic