title: A stochastic model of a cell population with quiescence.
abstract: A cell population in which cells are allowed to enter a quiescent (nonproliferating) phase is analyzed using a stochastic approach. A general branching process is used to model the population which, under very mild conditions, exhibits balanced exponential growth. A formula is given for the asymptotic fraction of quiescent cells, and a numerical example illustrates how convergence toward the asymptotic fraction exhibits a typical oscillatory pattern. The model is compared with deterministic models based on semigroup analysis of systems of differential equations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA. peter.olofsson@trinity.edu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olofsson
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle; D002477:Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D013997:Time Factors