Cellular biomechanics Flashcards
Cellular mechanics
-cells are deformable objects
-cells have an internal structure to determine their ability to deform
RBC’s are slightly bigger than capillaries so…
They have to deform to move through circulation
Are white blood cells or red blood cells larger?
White blood cells
A reduced deformability of WBCs may…
play a role in certain diseases such as leukemia and diabetes
-microcirculation might be impaired
Mechanical properties of cancer cells are…
important determinates of cancer progression
How do cancer cells invade normal tissue?
Cancer cells create physical forces that allow them to crawl and invade normal tissue
Metastasis
occurs when the cancer cells crawl into blood vessels and move through the circulation
-the site of deposition of these cells depends on their mechanical properties
Carcinoma
a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body
Sarcoma
the general term for a broad group of cancers that begins in the bones or soft tissues
Routes of metastasis
- 4 possible routes to spread cancer
- spread via. lymphatic channels (favored by most carcinomas)
- spread via. blood vessels (this is favored by sarcomas and some carcinomas that origonate in the kidneys and spread by veins)
- spread via body cavaties
- transplantation of the cancer
Veins are more frequently invaded than arteries, why?
because of their thinner walls
Transplantation of cancer
occurs by carriage of fragments of tumer cells via. needles or surgical instruments to the other parts of the body during surgery and diagnostic procedures
Spread via. body cavaties
peritoneal- covering the gut, stomach + other abdominal organs
pleural- covering the lungs
pericardial- covering the heart
subarchnoid spaces, covering the brain and membranes
