Lipids and Membranes in Brain Aging

Major advancements have been made in our understanding of biological membranes both within and outside of the central nervous system. The membrane has been viewed as a homogeneous structure, but it is now recognized as having a heterogeneous environment of lipids and proteins consisting of both macro and micro domains. Alterations in neural membranes have historically been an attractive hypothesis to explain cell dysfunction in aged organisms. This article examines brain membranes and aging from the perspectives of changes in fluidity, lipid composition, and membrane domains, and it identifies areas in which further study is needed.