Open Access
ARTICLE
Abstract
A fundamental problem for cells with their fragile membranes is the control of their volume. The primordial
solution to this problem is the active transport of ions across the cell membrane to modulate the intracellular
osmotic pressure. In this work, a theoretical model of the cellular pump-leak mechanism is proposed within the
general framework of linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics. The model is expressed with phenomenological
equations that describe passive and active ionic transport across cell membranes, supplemented by an equation for
the membrane potential that accounts for the electrogenicity of the ionic pumps. For active ionic transport, the
model predicts that the intracellular fluid pressure will be balanced by the osmotic pressure and a new pressure
component that arises from the active ionic fluxes. A model for the pump-leak mechanism in an idealized human
cell is introduced to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed theory.
Keywords
Cite This Article
APA Style
Pinsky, P.M. (2021). Fluid and osmotic pressure balance and volume stabilization in cells. Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, 129(3), 1329-1350. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2021.017740
Vancouver Style
Pinsky PM. Fluid and osmotic pressure balance and volume stabilization in cells. Comput Model Eng Sci. 2021;129(3):1329-1350 https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2021.017740
IEEE Style
P.M. Pinsky, "Fluid and Osmotic Pressure Balance and Volume Stabilization in Cells," Comput. Model. Eng. Sci., vol. 129, no. 3, pp. 1329-1350. 2021. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2021.017740