Ciliary Propulsion of Objects in Tubes: Wall Drag on Swimming Tetrahymena (Ciliata) in the Presence of Mucin and other Long-Chain Polymers.

摘要

The lubrication effect of three long-chain polymers - mucin, methylcellulose and Ficoll - on ciliary propulsion in tubes is measured by plotting the relative velocities of swimming ciliates as a function of tube bore diameter. Mucin shows the most unequivocal lubrication which is found at concentrations between 0% and 9.1% (w/V). In addition, another wall drag reduction effect by mucin was measured in the clearnace region beyond the lubrication layer. This apparent viscosity reduction is optimized in the concentration range between 1.7 and 4% mucin. Both phenomena may be explained in terms of the properties of gel clustering. (Author)