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Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the application of X-ray diffraction and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to elucidate the structure and organization of the lipid-enriched cellular peripheral domains of the stratum corneum. The two techniques provide confirmatory and complementary information about structure and physical properties on a molecular level. Traditionally, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is widely used to obtain information about the heat-induced phase changes in biological membranes, but it must be emphasized that calorimetry does not probe membrane structure. EPR has provided information about the stratum corneum that is both parallel and complementary to information provided by X-ray diffraction. Both techniques provide information on a molecular level about temperature-dependent phase behavior that correlates with DSC determinations. However, X-ray diffraction provides more direct information about structure, whereas EPR provides more direct information about the physical properties of membranes, including polarity, microviscosity, and phase transitions. |
