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CELLULAR MOTILITY

The beat of isolated cilia

Nature Physics volume 18, pages 234–235 (2022)Cite this article

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Individual cilia are typically attached to cell surfaces, where they sweep back and forth. A new study charts the behavioural space of the beating patterns of cilia isolated from the cell.

The oscillations of cilia and flagella — hair-like structures protruding from cells — have provided a rich and constant source of inspiration for physicists and mathematicians over the years. Like most biological oscillators, they are self-sustained and require some internal energy source. They also interact and self-organize to create dynamic flows1.

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Fig. 1: Beating patterns of cilia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Living Systems Institute and Department of Mathematics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Kirsty Y. Wan

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  1. Kirsty Y. Wan
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Correspondence to Kirsty Y. Wan.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Wan, K.Y. The beat of isolated cilia. Nat. Phys. 18, 234–235 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01502-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01502-5

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