Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

A Microfluidic Model of Biomimetically Breathing Pulmonary Acinar Airways
Published on: May 9, 2016
Fluid flow due to collective non-reciprocal motion of symmetrically-beating artificial cilia
Abstract:
Using a magneto-mechanical solid-fluid numerical model for permanently magnetic artificial cilia, we show that the metachronal motion of symmetrically beating cilia establishes a net pressure gradient in the direction of the metachronal wave, which creates a unidirectional flow. The flow generated is characterised as a function of the cilia spacing, the length of the metachronal wave, and a dimensionless parameter that characterises the relative importance of the viscous forces over the elastic forces in the cilia.
Related Concept Videos
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
Couette Flow
Laminar and Turbulent Flow
Microtubules in Cell Motility
Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...

