Abstract
Eukaryotic cells move through the complex micro-environment of a tissue either by attaching to the extracellular matrix – sometimes degrading it locally – and pulling themselves along, or by squeezing through the matrix by appropriate sequences of shape changes. Some cells can even swim by shape changes, and one mode used is called blebbing, in which a cell creates a small hemispherical protrusion that may grow to incorporate the entire cell volume or may be reabsorbed into the primary volume. Herein we develop and analyze several models for swimming at low Reynolds number inspired by cell blebbing. These models comprise several connected spheres, and each connected pair of spheres can exchange volume with their complement in the pair. We show that the cell can propel itself through the fluid using a suitable sequence of volume exchanges, and we evaluate the efficiency of this mode of swimming.
AMS(MOS) subject classifications. Primary 76Z10, 49J20, 92C17, 93B05
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Wang, Q., Hu, J., Othmer, H. (2012). Models of Low Reynolds Number Swimmers Inspired by Cell Blebbing. In: Childress, S., Hosoi, A., Schultz, W., Wang, J. (eds) Natural Locomotion in Fluids and on Surfaces. The IMA Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications, vol 155. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3997-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3997-4_14
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