The indentation of pressurized elastic shells: from polymeric capsules to yeast cells

• Published in: Journal of the Royal Society interface Vol. 9; no. 68; pp. 448 - 455
• Main Authors: Vella, Dominic, Ajdari, Amin, Vaziri, Ashkan, Boudaoud, Arezki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Royal Society 07.03.2012; the Royal Society
• Subjects: Biophysics; Buckling; Capsules; Cell Wall; Cells; Elasticity; Finite Element Analysis; Finite-Element Method; Life Sciences; Materials Testing - methods; Models, Theoretical; Pressure; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Turgor Regulation; Vegetal Biology; WALL; buckling; ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY; turgor regulation; GROWTH; finite-element method; cell wall; SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE

Pressurized elastic capsules arise at scales ranging from the 10 m diameter pressure vessels used to store propane at oil refineries to the microscopic polymeric capsules that may be used in drug delivery. Nature also makes extensive use of pressurized elastic capsules: plant cells, bacteria and fun...