Scale Effects, Anisotropy and Non-Linearity of Tensegrity Structures: Applications to Cell Mechanical Behavior

Abstract

Changes in cells shape and function are due to the rearrangement of individual molecular components that join together in space to form structural cytoskeletal frameworks [1]. Cells grow, survive, migrate, differentiate and remodel their architecture according to the physico-chemical processes which closely depend upon their mechanical environment [2]. However, the mechanotransduction phenomena and more generally mechanical properties of cells are yet poorly understood and it becomes of central interest to measure and analyze cells rheological behavior. Models of cytoskeletal networks and related cells mechanical responses have been recently proposed with, either, a physical viewpoint based upon the mechanics of continuous media [3, 4] or an analysis based upon the mechanics of discrete element structures. These recent models have taken into account the fact that the fibrous microscopic nature of the cytoskeletal components resembles the polymeric foam material [5] or have introduced the concept that living cells use tensegrity architecture for their organization [6]. The purpose of this study is to furthermore investigate these current modeling aspects with emphasis upon the structure mechanical approach: scale effect, anisotropy, non linearity of stress-strain relationships.