Modeling of closed membrane shapes

Closed biological membranes were considered within the spontaneous curvature model. Ground state membrane shapes were compared with Monte Carlo simulations in the thermal equilibrium, where membranes are subject to thermal fluctuations. The results of the two approaches correspond well with each other. The oblate discocyte membrane shapes are obtained in the ground state but can become metastable when thermal fluctuations are taken into account. The nematic ordering in oblate and stomatocyte vesicle membranes was also studied. It was confirmed that the net topological charge on the surfaces with the topology of a sphere was 2. On the oblate vesicle four topological defects, each with charge 1/2, assembled in the region exhibiting the highest Gaussian curvature. On the stomatocyte vesicle with six topological defects, each with charge 1/2, and two topological antidefects, each with charge -1/2, the latter assembled in the region with a negative Gaussian curvature. The position of topological defects is strongly curvature dependent.