Translocases

One feature of lipid bilayers that helps to maintain the asymmetric distribution of lipids within it is the relatively slow way in which glycerophospholipid molecules can "flip" from one side of the bilayer to the other in the absence of enzymatic action. This flipping is called transverse diffusion and is a process that can be enhanced by a class of enzyme called translocases.

See also: Membrane Asymmetry