Biomechanics of Cell Division (Nato Science Series A:)

There are virtually hundreds of life scientists publishing hundreds of papers a year on numerous aspects of the cell cycle. The following are few of the topics covered: cell membrane organization, membrane components, cytoskeleton and associated proteins, cell motility, actin in dividing cells, surface modulating assemblies, microfilaments, microtubules, cleavage furrow, fusion, etc. In all these topics, lifescientists talk about, among others, the forces within the system, the motion within the system and the failure of the system. The concepts of force, motion and failure are, one way or another, all related to the structure of the cell and to the mechanics of the cell activities. When the concepts of mechanics and structure enter the problem then one has to talk about biomechanics; in this case, biomechanics of cytology which we would like to call "Cytbmechanics." However, a review of the journals, books and conference proceedings related to various aspects of cytology reveals that mechanicians have not yet entered the field of cytology at a noticeable level. Some lifescientists have indeed made use of the general principles of mechanics in their works; however, no truly interdisciplinary publication has yet appeared from the collaboration of mechanicians and lifescientists in the field of, for instance, cell division.