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On the fractal nature of cytoplasm
Author(s) -
Aon Miguel A.,
Cortassa Sonia
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(94)00321-1
Subject(s) - fractal dimension , cytoplasm , fractal , percolation (cognitive psychology) , percolation threshold , statistical physics , percolation critical exponents , lebesgue covering dimension , lattice (music) , percolation theory , mathematics , physics , biological system , topology (electrical circuits) , chemistry , combinatorics , biology , mathematical analysis , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , electrical resistivity and conductivity , biochemistry , hausdorff dimension , acoustics
On the basis of a quantification of the fractal dimension, D, in micrographs of cytoskeleton components or microtrabecular lattice, we propose that the cellular cytoplasm can be described as a percolation cluster , a sort of ‘random fractal’. Our hypothesis deals with: (i) the existence of the percolation threshold — a remarkable property of percolation processes; and (ii) the reactivity increase — when enzymes, or targets, and substrates, or effectors, coexist in the same topological dimension.