[Clusters in a liquid-crystalline lipid bilayer].

From analysis of the position and width of the diffuse maximum from X-ray scattering on hydrocarbon chains of phospholipid molecules, the average distance between neighbour chains in a bilayer and the values of interaction (correlation) radia were estimated. Comparison with the results of other methods applied shows that the cluster model of molecule packing in lipid bilayers explains the experimental data in the best way. The minimal dimensions of the clusters, average areas per molecule and approximate fraction of molecules in the clusters were estimated.