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Random walks and cell size
Author(s) -
Agutter Paul S.,
Wheatley Denys N.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/1521-1878(200011)22:11<1018::aid-bies8>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - diffusion , random walk , argument (complex analysis) , cytoplasm , cell size , nucleus , simple (philosophy) , statistical physics , physics , biophysics , biological system , biology , mathematics , microbiology and biotechnology , statistics , quantum mechanics , epistemology , biochemistry , philosophy
For many years, it has been believed that diffusion is the principle motive force for distributing molecules within the cell. Yet, our current information about the cell makes this improbable. Furthermore, the argument that limitations responsible for the relative constancy of cell size—which seldom varies by more than a factor of 2, whereas organisms can vary in mass by up to 10 24 —are based on the limits of diffusion is questionable. This essay seeks to develop an alternative explanation based on transport of molecules along structural elements in the cytoplasm and nucleus. This mechanism can better account for cell size constancy, in light of modern biological knowledge of the complex microstructure of the cell, than simple diffusion. BioEssays 22:1018–1023, 2000. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.