© 1999 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 1999

9.4.3.2 Cell Plasma Membrane Elasticity

Does the temporary attachment and passage of a cytoambulating nanorobot across a cell surface have a significant mechanical effect on that surface? Cell and plasma membrane deformation can be quite complex. However, taking the plasma membrane to be a two-dimensional, incompressible elastic solid, a deformation will always consist of one or more of three fundamental independent deformations: expansion without bending or shear (characterized by the area expansion modulus K, in N/m), elongation (shear) without expanding or bending (shear modulus m_shear, in N/m), and bending without shear or expansion (bending modulus B, in N-m). Each mode is discussed briefly, below.

Last updated on 21 February 2003