Summary
This paper presents an analysis for the self-propulsion of spermatozoa through mucus filling a channel with flexible boundaries. The mucus is characterized as a micropolar fluid, and the spermatozoa are modelled as a two-dimensional sheet, sending down lateral waves along its length. The model also considers the motion of flexible walls due to muscular activities. This motion is represented by transverse waves along the channel walls. The analysis has been carried out for inertia-free flow under the assumption that the waves travelling along the channel and the sheet are in synchronization under the steady state. It is observed that the propulsive velocity increases as the departure from the Newtonian theory grows.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Taylor, G.: Analysis of microscopic organisms. Proc. R. Soc. London/A 209 (1951) 447–461
Hancock, G. J.: The self-propulsion of microscopic organisms through liquids. Proc. R. Soc. Lond./A 217 (1953) 96–121
Reynolds, A. J.: The swiming of minute organisms. J. Fluid Mech. 23 (1965) 241–260
Shack, W. J.;Lardner, T. J.: A long wavelength solution for a microorganism swimming in a channel. Bull. Math. Biol. 36 (1974) 435–444
Shack, W. J.;Frey, C. S.;Lardner, T. J.: Observations on the hydrodynamics and swimming motions of mammalian spermatozoa. Bull. Math. Biol. 36 (1974) 555–565
Katz, D. F.: On the propulsion of microorganisms near solid boundaries. J. Fluid Mech. 64 (1974) 33–50
Lighthill, J.: Mathematical biofluiddynamics. In: Math. Biofluiddynamics Research Conf., Troy, NY, 1973. Philadelphia: Soc. for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 1975
Odeblad, E.: Undulations for macromolecules in cervical mucus. Int. J. Fertil 7 (1962) 313
Elstein, M.;Mitchell, R. F.;Syrett, J. T.: Ultrastructure of cervical mucus. J. Obstet. Gynaec. Br. Commonw. 78 (1971) 180–183
Sinha, P.;Singh, C.;Prasad, K. R.: A microcontinuum analysis of the self-propulsion of the spermatozoa in the cervical canal. Int. J. Eng. Sci. 20 (1982) 1037–1048
Shukla, J. B.;Chandra, P.;Sharma, R.;Radhakrishnamacharya, G.: Effects of peristaltic and longitudinal wave motion of the channel wall on movement of microorganisms: Application to spermatozoa transport. J. Biomech. 21 (1988) 947–954
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Philip, D., Chandra, P. Self-propulsion of spermatozoa in microcontinua: effect of transverse wave motion of channel walls. Arch. Appl. Mech. 66, 90–99 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00786692
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00786692