Interactions of small nonpolar molecules with biological membranes: an exactly solvable model

An exactly solvable model of the interaction of small nonpolar molecules with biological membranes is developed. This model, which is based upon a “decorated dimer model” extension of Nagle's membrane model, is demonstrated to qualitatively reproduce many of the changes in the order-disorder phase transition seen when biological membranes are exposed to anesthetic gases. The decorated dimer model is itself interesting because it provides an example of an exactly solvable monomer-dimer model in which phase transitions can occur in the presence of monomers.