Analysis of wave propagation in orthotropic microtubules embedded within elastic medium by Pasternak model

Microtubules are embedded within elastic medium in living cells, where they perform a wide variety of functions; in cell motility and division, in organelle transport, and in cell organization. Waves propagate along microtubules in performing their physiological functions, so, wave propagation along microtubules has been the topic of research in the past decade. In the present article, the wave propagation in microtubules embedded in the elastic medium has been investigated on the basis of orthotropic-Pasternak model. We considered microtubules as orthotropic elastic shell and its surrounding elastic matrix as Pasternak foundation. We found that the flexural rigidity of microtubules has been increased with the stiffening of the elastic medium. Moreover, we observed that due to the mechanical coupling of microtubules with the elastic medium, their radial wave velocity has increased considerably as compared to other two wave velocities, i.e., longitudinal wave velocity and torsional wave velocity. The effect of foundation parameters H and G is more pronounced on radial wave velocity, to a lesser extent on torsional wave velocity and least eyen negligible on longitudinal wave velocity. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.