On contractile force developed by the Spasmoneme, a biological spring of a peritrich ciliate Vorticella convallaria

[摘要] (cont.) As the drag force increases, the cell contracts over shorter distance with lower speed, and latency between the zooid and stalk contraction increases whereas contraction propagation is not affected. The spasmoneme develops the contraction force at a rate of 4050 nN/msec. The isometric force, in the order of 100 nN, linearly depends on the stalk length, and this linear dependence (2.5 nN/1 m of the spasmoneme) enables estimating contractile force per lament of the spasmoneme. In terms of energetics, Vorticella in ow behaves differently than it does in stagnant media: the total work is constant regardless of the stall force whereas the maximum power output decreases as the stall force increases.

[发布机构] Massachusetts Institute of Technology