A physical model of cell crawling motion

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Abstract
A simple « prototype » model of the motion mechanisms of cells without flagella or cilia is proposed. It relies essentially on the « directed exocytosis » discovered recently in many motile cells. An osmotic « pump » working inside the cell is suggested as a plausible motor for the establishment of the directed exocytosis. The quantitative features of the cell lipidic membrane backflow are obtained explicitly. This membrane flow induces a fluid motion outside the cell, leading to a thrust for forward motion exerted by the fluid on the cell. Typical values compare well with existing data : this suggests that cell crawling motion might involve not only cell-substrate but also cell-fluid interactions