Satyajit Mayor1, Abrar Bhat1 and Akihiro Kusumi2 1National Centre for Biological Science, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India 2Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan; Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan Correspondence: mayorncbs.res.in; akihiro.kusumioist.jp

The cell membrane, the boundary that separates living cells from their environment, has been the subject of study for over a century. The fluid-mosaic model of Singer and Nicolson in 1972 proposed the plasma membrane as a two-dimensional fluid composed of lipids and proteins. Fifty years hence, advances in biophysical and biochemical tools, particularly optical imaging techniques, have allowed for a better understanding of the physical nature, organization, and composition of cell membranes. This has been made possible by visualizing membrane heterogeneities and their dynamics and appreciating the asymmetrical arrangement of lipids in living cell membranes. Despite these advances, mechanisms underlying the local spatiotemporal organization of membrane components remain unclear. This review surveys various models of membrane organization, culminating in a new model that incorporates nonequilibrium processes and forces exerted by interactions with extramembrane elements such as the actin cytoskeleton. The proposed model provides a comprehensive understanding of membrane organization, taking into account the dynamic nature of the cell membrane and its interactions with its immediate environment.