Vibration of bioliquid-filled microtubules embedded in cytoplasm including surface effects using modified couple stress theory

This paper aims to investigate vibrational behavior of bioliquid-filled microtubules (MTs) embedded in cytoplasm considering surface effects. The interactions between the MT, considered as an orthotropic beam within the framework of Euler-Bernoulli beam (EBB) and Timoshenko beam (TB) models, and its surrounding elastic media are simulated by Pasternak foundation model. The modified couple stress theory (MCST) is applied so as to consider the small scale effects while motion equations are derived using energy method and Hamilton's principle for both EBB and TB models. Finally, an analytical method is employed to obtain the frequency of a bioliquid-filled MT, and therefore frequency-response curves are plotted to investigate the influences of small scale parameter, mass density of bioliquid, surface layer and surrounding elastic medium graphically. The results indicate that bioliquid and surface layers play a key role on the frequency of MTs and that the frequency of MTs is decreased with increasing of the mass density of the bioliquid. Vibration analysis of MTs is being considered as a vital problem since MTs look like the nervous system of the biological cells and transmit vibrational signals. It should be noted that the results of this work are hoped to be of use in advanced medical applications especially in the forthcoming use of MTs in transporters for bio-nanosensors. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.