Biomaterial Database

Rheological properties of living cytoplasm: a preliminary investigation of squid axoplasm (Loligo pealei). 1984

M Sato, and T Z Wong, and D T Brown, and R D Allen

A magnetic sphere viscoelastometer has been developed to perform rheological experiments in living axoplasm of Loligo pealei. The technique includes the use of a calibrated magnetic sphere viscoelastometer on surgically implanted ferro-magnetic spheres in intact squid giant axons. The axoplasm was discerned to be "living" by the biological criterion of tubulovesicular organelle motility, which was observed before and after experimentation. From these in vivo experiments, new structural characteristics of the axoplasm have been identified. First, analysis of magnetic sphere trajectories has shown the axoplasm to be a complex viscoelastic fluid. Directional experimentation showed that this material is structurally anisotropic, with a greater elastic modulus in the direction parallel to the axon long axis. Second, both magnetic sphere and in vivo capillary experiments suggested that the axoplasm is tenaciously anchored to the axolemma. Third, it was found that axoplasm could be modelled as a linear viscoelastic material in the low shear rate range of 0.0001 to 0.004 s-1. The simplest mechanical model incorporating the discovered properties of the material in this range is Burger's model.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008280	Magnetics	The study of MAGNETIC PHENOMENA.	Magnetic
D008863	Microspheres	Small uniformly-sized spherical particles, of micrometer dimensions, frequently labeled with radioisotopes or various reagents acting as tags or markers.	Latex Beads,Latex Particles,Latex Spheres,Microbeads,Bead, Latex,Beads, Latex,Latex Bead,Latex Particle,Latex Sphere,Microbead,Microsphere,Particle, Latex,Particles, Latex,Sphere, Latex,Spheres, Latex
D009454	Neurofibrils	The delicate interlacing threads, formed by aggregations of neurofilaments and neurotubules, coursing through the CYTOPLASM of the body of a NEURON and extending from one DENDRITE into another or into the AXON.	Neurofibril
D002470	Cell Survival	The span of viability of a cell characterized by the capacity to perform certain functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, some form of responsiveness, and adaptability.	Cell Viability,Cell Viabilities,Survival, Cell,Viabilities, Cell,Viability, Cell
D003593	Cytoplasm	The part of a cell that contains the CYTOSOL and small structures excluding the CELL NUCLEUS; MITOCHONDRIA; and large VACUOLES. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990)	Protoplasm,Cytoplasms,Protoplasms
D004548	Elasticity	Resistance and recovery from distortion of shape.
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001369	Axons	Nerve fibers that are capable of rapidly conducting impulses away from the neuron cell body.	Axon
D001370	Axonal Transport	The directed transport of ORGANELLES and molecules along nerve cell AXONS. Transport can be anterograde (from the cell body) or retrograde (toward the cell body). (Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3d ed, pG3)	Axoplasmic Flow,Axoplasmic Transport,Axoplasmic Streaming,Axonal Transports,Axoplasmic Flows,Axoplasmic Transports,Streaming, Axoplasmic,Transport, Axonal,Transport, Axoplasmic,Transports, Axonal,Transports, Axoplasmic
D012212	Rheology	The study of the deformation and flow of matter, usually liquids or fluids, and of the plastic flow of solids. The concept covers consistency, dilatancy, liquefaction, resistance to flow, shearing, thixotrophy, and VISCOSITY.	Flowmetry,Velocimetry,Velocimetries