Numerical Model for Formation and Evolution of the Bleb

The bleb morphology and its changes are an important mechanism of cell9s amoeboid migration. By releasing bonds between the membrane and the cortex of a cell, the formation of bleb can be observed experimentally, but the mechanism that affects the size and shape of this kind of bleb is waiting for further study. In this paper, a two-dimensional fluid-solid coupling model is established to describe a cell with membrane, cortex and cytoplasm in a solution, and a numerical solving method for the fluid-solid coupling model is developed to simulate the behaviors of cell bleb. The effects of parameters, such as the number of broken bonds, the viscosity coefficient of the cortex, and the cell9s membrane modulus on the size and the shape of the bleb were investigated. Numerical results show that the model is effective to simulate the formation and evolution of cell9s bleb, and derive the contribution of several affecting factors to the bleb shape and size clearly.