Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 February 2014
In this paper we present a fluid-structure interaction model of neuron’s membranedeformation. The membrane-actin is considered as an elastic solid layer, while thecytoplasm is considered as a viscous fluid one. The membrane-actin layer is governed byelasticity equations while the cytoplasm is described by the Navier-Stokes equations. Atthe interface between the cytoplasm and the membrane we consider a match between the solidvelocity displacement and the fluid velocity as well as the mechanical equilibrium. Themembrane, which faces the extracellular medium, is free to move. This will change thegeometry in time. To take into account the deformation of the initial configuration, weuse the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian method in order to take into account the meshdisplacement. The numerical simulations, show the emergence of a filopodium, a typicalstructure in cells undergoing deformation.