Brownian motion and temperament of living cells

TL;DR

This paper introduces the concept of cell temperament, analogous to temperature, linking cell vitality to Brownian motion, and derives a heuristic diffusion coefficient for cells on structured surfaces.

Contribution

It proposes the novel concept of cell temperament related to entropy production and models cell locomotion using a generalized Langevin equation.

Findings

Cell movement follows Einstein's Brownian law but is influenced by cell vitality.

A heuristic expression for cell diffusion coefficient on structured surfaces is derived.

Cell locomotion dynamics are analyzed via a generalized Langevin equation.

Abstract

The migration of living cells obeys usually the Einstein law of Brownian motion. While the latter is due to the thermal motion of surrounding matter, the cells locomotion is generally associated to their vitality. In the present paper the concept of cell temperament is introduced, being analogous to thermodynamic temperature and related to the cell entropy production. A heuristic expression for the diffusion coefficient of cell on structured surfaces is derived as well. The cell locomemory is also studied via the generalized Langevin equation.