A giant unilamellar vesicle held by micropipette aspiration has an area-stretch modulus

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Biophysics & Medical Physics · Macromolecules, membranes and cell architecture · Macromolecules, membranes and cell architecture

Soft Matter at the Thermal Scale, Ch Membranes, fluctuations and soft matter in biology

Problem

A giant unilamellar vesicle held by micropipette aspiration has an area-stretch modulus KA=0.20 N m−1K_A = 0.20\,\mathrm{N\,m^{-1}}, and it lyses (ruptures) at a tension of Σlysis=6.0 mN m−1\Sigma_{\rm lysis} = 6.0\,\mathrm{mN\,m^{-1}}. ((a)) What tension Σ\Sigma must be applied to produce a fractional area strain ΔA/A=0.40%\Delta A/A = 0.40\%? ((b)) What is the fractional area strain at the point of lysis?

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