title: Numerical study of the electrical conductivity and polarization in a suspension of spherical cells.
abstract: The spatial distribution of electrical potential and current in a suspension of spherical cells under an applied electric field was numerically obtained using the equivalent circuit method (ECM). The effect of the proximity of the cells was studied in a set of simulations where the volumetric fraction varied from 0.24 to 0.66. The results show that the transmembrane potential for cells in the suspension is lower than the theoretically predicted value for a single dielectric membrane under a uniform electric field. It was also observed that as the volumetric fraction is increased, the transmembrane potential on the pole of the cells decreases linearly. Furthermore, the conductivity of the suspension was also observed to be a function of the volumetric fraction and this result is in a good agreement with the Maxwell's model for spherical particles suspended in a volume conductor.
authors.affiliation: Electrical Engineering Department, Centre of Technological Sciences, State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: D O H
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: J L B
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000528:radiation effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000528:radiation effects; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008954:Models, Biological; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*