Mechanical Properties of the Cytoskeleton and Cells

  1. David A. Weitz1
  1. 1Department of Physics and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
  2. 2Institute for Medicine and Engineering and Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
  1. Correspondence: weitz{at}seas.harvard.edu

SUMMARY

The cytoskeleton is the major mechanical structure of the cell; it is a complex, dynamic biopolymer network comprising microtubules, actin, and intermediate filaments. Both the individual filaments and the entire network are not simple elastic solids but are instead highly nonlinear structures. Appreciating the mechanics of biopolymer networks is key to understanding the mechanics of cells. Here, we review the mechanical properties of cytoskeletal polymers and discuss the implications for the behavior of cells.



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