Membrannda

Membrannda is a neologism used primarily in speculative biology and science fiction to denote a hypothetical class of membrane-based networks that coordinate and connect membranes across cellular compartments or organelles. In this usage, membrannda refers to an emergent architecture rather than a single structure, imagined as a dynamic, interconnected web of membranous domains enabling coordinated transport and signaling.

Etymology and usage: The term blends "membrane" with a fictional suffix -nda, chosen to signal a networked-domain architecture. It has circulated mainly in online communities and speculative writings since the early 2020s and is not part of established biological nomenclature.

Concept and characteristics: The membrannda concept envisions continuous or closely apposed membranes forming cross-talk pathways that span multiple organelles or even cells. Proposed properties include rapid remodeling, selective permeability, and synchronized exchange of lipids, proteins, and signaling molecules. These ideas are used as thought experiments to explore how intracellular communication might operate if membranes could form a connected network with programmable dynamics.

Status and reception: There is no peer-reviewed evidence for membrannda as a real biological entity. It appears in speculative discussions, fictional narratives, and some educational thought experiments as a mnemonic for discussing membrane organization and intermembrane communication. Critics point out that current cell biology describes distinct organelle membranes and contact sites rather than a universal network.

See also: membrane dynamics; interorganellar communication; synthetic biology; biomimetics.