Elastic axonemal model: Solitary wave shapes Original Research Article

We introduce an elastic beam Bernoulli–Euler model for the axoneme (cytoskeletal inner core of eukaryotic cells appendages) whose dynamics is controlled by internally generated torques at the inflexion points of the beam. We calculate the geometrical and the mechanical parameters of the axoneme, and compared them with experimental data. We make predictions about nonlinear shapes, including possible solitary waves in the curvature, which can explain certain swimming patterns of the cells.