Simulation of the effects of microtubules in the cortical rotation of amphibian embryos in normal and zero gravity
| Autor: | Jack A. Tuszynski, Comron Nouri, Mark W. Wiebe, Richard G. Gordon |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2012 |
| Předmět: |
Statistics and Probability
Gravity (chemistry) Embryo Nonmammalian Buoyancy Rotation Zygote Embryonic Development engineering.material Microtubules Models Biological General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Amphibians Gravitation Gravitational field Animals Computer Simulation Physics Weightlessness Angular displacement Applied Mathematics General Medicine Biomechanical Phenomena Classical mechanics Drag Modeling and Simulation engineering Zero gravity |
| Zdroj: | Biosystems. 109:444-449 |
| ISSN: | 0303-2647 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.biosystems.2012.05.009 |
| Popis: | This paper reports the results of computer modeling of microtubules that end up in the cortical region of a one-cell amphibian embryo, prior to the first cell division. Microtubules are modeled as initially randomly oriented semi-flexible rods, represented by several lines of point-masses interacting with one another like masses on springs with longitudinal and transverse stiffness. They are also considered to be space-filling rods floating in a viscous fluid (cytoplasm) experiencing drag forces and buoyancy from the fluid under a variable gravity field to test gravitational effects. Their randomly distributed interactions with the surrounding spherical container (the cell membrane) have a statistical nonzero average that creates a torque causing a rotational displacement between the cytoplasm and the rigid cortex. The simulation has been done for zero and normal gravity and it validates the observation that cortical rotation occurs in microgravity as well as on Earth. The speed of rotation depends on gravity, but is still substantial in microgravity. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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