Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026

The Mechanics of (Poro-)Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
Published on: March 10, 2023
Oscillation of a polymer gel entrained with a periodic force
Takaya Shiota1, Yumihiko S Ikura, Satoshi Nakata
1Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan.
Abstract:
The oscillation of a polymer gel induced by the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction was investigated under an external force composed of a square wave. The oscillation of the BZ reaction entrained to the periodic force and the features of this entrainment changed depending on the period and duty cycle of the square wave. The experimental results suggest that the change in the volume of the gel also gave feedback to the BZ reaction. The mechanism of entrainment is discussed in relation to the compression of the gel and the reaction-diffusion system in the BZ reaction.
Related Concept Videos
Forced Oscillations
Simple Harmonic Motion
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

