  We consider a dilute solution of infinitely rigid rods near a curved,
perfectly repulsive surface and study the contribution of the rod depletion
layer to the bending elastic constants of membranes. We find that a spontaneous
curvature state can be induced by exposure of BOTH sides of the membrane to a
rod solution. A similar result applies for rigid disks with a diameter equal to
the rod's length. We also study the confinement of rods in spherical and
cylindrical repulsive shells. This helps elucidate a recent discussion on
curvature effects in confined quantum mechanical and polymer systems.
