multimembrane

Multimembrane is a term used to describe cellular or artificial structures that are bounded by more than one lipid bilayer membrane. In biology, it refers to compartments that have two or more membranes, providing distinct environments and regulated interfaces for transport and metabolism.

Biological examples include the nuclear envelope, which surrounds the nucleus and consists of inner and outer membranes separated by a perinuclear space, with nuclear pore complexes controlling traffic. Mitochondria and chloroplasts each have two limiting membranes—the outer membrane and an inner membrane—with additional internal membrane systems (cristae in mitochondria; thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts) that maximize surface area for energy conversion and photosynthesis. In some algae and protists, plastids derived from secondary or tertiary endosymbiosis have three or four membranes. Autophagosomes are double-membrane vesicles formed during autophagy that encapsulate cytoplasmic material for degradation in lysosomes.

In materials science and pharmacology, multimembrane or multilamellar structures occur as artificial vesicles with multiple concentric lipid bilayers, known as multilamellar vesicles, used in drug delivery to modulate release kinetics. Multimembrane filters and laminated barriers are also used in filtration and insulation contexts.

The presence of multiple membranes often reflects complex evolutionary history, functional specialization, or engineered design, enabling compartmentalization, selective transport, and energy transformation while maintaining membrane integrity.