English

Chemotactic Maneuverability of Sperm

Fluid Dynamics 2011-10-14 v1 Biological Physics

Abstract

In this fluid mechanics video, we explore the kinematics of chemotaxing sperm cells (sea urchin, \textit{Arbacia punctulata}) swimming in a chemoattractant gradient. We demonstrate that the complex swimming trajectories resulting in chemotactic behavior (`turn-and-run' motility) are comprised of several distinct flagellar maneuvers. These motility patterns likely play an important role optimizing chemotaxic motility and navigation, when the sperm cells are subjected external fluid flows.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1110.2835,
  title  = {Chemotactic Maneuverability of Sperm},
  author = {Jeffrey S. Guasto and Jeffrey A. Riffell and Richard K. Zimmer and Roman Stocker},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1110.2835},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

two videos included for the APS-DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion

R2 v1 2026-06-21T19:19:30.912Z