Abstract
Paramecium or other ciliates have the potential to be utilized for minimally invasive surgery systems, making internal body organs accessible. Paramecium shows interesting responses to changes in the concentration of specific ions such as K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ in the ambient fluid. Some specific responses are observed as, changes in beat pattern of cilia and swimming toward or apart from the ion source. Therefore developing a model for chemotactic motility of small organisms is necessary in order to control the directional movements of these microorganisms before testing them. In this article, we have developed a numerical model, investigating the effects of Ca2+ on swimming trajectory of Paramecium. Results for Ca2+-dependent chemotactic motility show that calcium gradients are efficient actuators for controlling the Paramecium swimming trajectory. After applying a very low Ca2+ gradient, a directional chemotaxis of swimming Paramecium is observable in this model. As a result, chemotaxis is shown to be an efficient method for controlling the propulsion of these small organisms.
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Sarvestani, A.N., Shamloo, A. & Ahmadian, M.T. Simulation of Paramecium Chemotaxis Exposed to Calcium Gradients. Cell Biochem Biophys 74, 241–252 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-016-0727-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-016-0727-8