Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 3: Cell Adhesion and Migration, Multicellular Systems I

BP 3.11: Talk

Monday, March 12, 2018, 12:30–12:45, H 2013

Flow rate of transport network controls uniform metabolite supply to tissue — •Felix J. Meigel and Karen Alim — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany

Functioning of higher organisms depends on the continuous supply of metabolites to tissue and organs. What are the requirements on the transport network pervading the tissue to provide a uniform supply of metabolites? We consider the transport dynamics of metabolites in a vascular network of connected tubes. On a single tube level, we describe metabolite spread by diffusion and advection as well as absorption at the tube wall. Applying our theoretical model of metabolite supply to the example of xylem vasculature in leaves, we find that on the network level, the flow rate is the key factor for uniform supply. While at low inflow rate metabolites are already exhausted near the flow inlet, too high inflow flushes metabolites through the network. We identify a scaling law, predicting the optimal inflow rate providing uniform metabolite supply. We identify how overall change in network topology compensates sub-optimal inflow rates in numerical simulations.