Self-similar tip growth in filamentary organisms.
The growth of a family of filamentary microorganisms is described in terms of self-similar growth at the tip which is driven by pressure and sustained by a wall-building growth process. The cell wall is modeled biomechanically as a stretchable elastic membrane using large-deformation elasticity theory. Incorporation of geometry dependent elastic moduli and a self-similar ansatz shows how these equations can generate realistic tip shapes corresponding to a self-similar expansion process.
Goriely
Alain
A
Program in Applied Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA. goriely@math.arizona.edu
Tabor
Michael
M
D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D025301:Hyphae / Q000254:growth & development; D008954:Models, Biological; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000254:growth & development