Fluid transport in a thick layer above an active ciliated surface.
The discrete cilia approach is employed to describe the flow field above an active ciliated surface in a layer of finite depth. The infinite-size cilia surface model predicts a uniform flow above the cilia surface. Modifications as a result of a finitely extending cilia surface inside a finite-size dish predict a backward parabolic profile above an active cilia surface. Experiments are described which demonstrate a good fit between theoretical predictions and observations. The results provide a sound physical basis for the proper interpretation of fluid-flow observations close to an active ciliary field.
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D010159:Palate / Q000502:physiology; D011893:Rana esculenta