Spiral Phyllotaxis Pattern in an Animal Cell: A Fluid- Driven Mechanism for Red Cell Echinocytosis and Programmed Cell Death

2004/11/18 by J T Lofthouse, Lofthouse, J T
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph) #Cell Behavior (q-bio.CB) #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #physics.bio-ph #physics.flu-dyn #q-bio.CB

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0411169

20 pages, 5 figures, zipped html file

arxiv created 2004/11/18 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that the pattern of lipid spiculesthat emerge on the surface of red blood cells in the classic 'Discocyte to Echinocyte' shape change is a generative spiral, and presents a qualitative, fluid- driven mechanism for their production, compatible with the work of Douady and Couder. Implications for the dynamics of cell growth, plant cell phyllotaxy, programmed cell death and gravity sensitivity are explained in terms of a new qualitative model of cellular fluid dynamics.

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