Numerical investigation of thinning of the intercellular bridge during cell cytokinesis

This paper develops a numerical model for intercellular bridge dynamics during the final stages of cell division known as cell cytokinesis. The aim of this research is to provide understanding as well as a quantitative description of transport processes during fort-nation and thinning of the intercellular bridge. From a microfluidic standpoint, intercellular bridge is a squeezing microchannel or a squeezing pump. The rate of pumping based ousqueezing increases with increased squeezing tension, which is determined by the number of myosin-II molecular motors recruited into the intercellular bridge region. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.