Frequency gradients in heterogeneous oscillatory media can spatially localize self-organized wave sources that coordinate system-wide activity
Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
2019-12-17 v1 Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Tissues and Organs
Abstract
Rhythmogenesis, which is critical for many biological functions, involves a transition to coherent activity through cell-cell communication. In the absence of centralized coordination by specialized cells (pacemakers), competing oscillating clusters impede this global synchrony. We show that spatial symmetry-breaking through a frequency gradient results in the emergence of localized wave sources driving system-wide activity. Such gradients, arising through heterogeneous inter-cellular coupling, may explain directed rhythmic activity during labor in the uterus despite the absence of pacemakers.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1912.07271,
title = {Frequency gradients in heterogeneous oscillatory media can spatially localize self-organized wave sources that coordinate system-wide activity},
author = {Ria Ghosh and Pavithraa Seenivasan and Shakti N. Menon and S. Sridhar and Nicolas B. Garnier and Alain Pumir and Sitabhra Sinha},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1912.07271},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
6 pages, 3 figures