The process of cell division raises a number of problems from the point of view of polymer physics. An overview of some of these problems concerning the structure and the dynamics of the mitotic spindle and of the chromosomes will be given. The lecture will focus on the dynamics of chromosomes submitted to the traction of the spindle. The projection of a movie due to Bajer and Mol-Bajer will be used to analyze several phenomena: the metaphase-anaphase transition, the standard chromosomal fission, the stretching and breakage of chromosomes, and the passage of one chromosome through another one. Models will be proposed for the description of these phenomena.
References
- Alberts, B., D. Bray, J. Lewis, M. Raff, K. Roberts and J. D Watson. 1994. Molecular Biology of the Cell. Chapters 18 and 20. Garland Publishing, New York.
- Jannink, G., B. Duplantier and J.-L. Sikorav. 1996. Forces on chromosomal DNA during anaphase. Biophys. J. 71:451-465. (and further references therein).
- Mazia, D. Mitosis and the physiology of cell division. In The Cell, Vol.3 J. Brachet and A. E. Mirsky, editors. Academic Press, New York. 77-412.