FIGURE 2.

Cell-peeling schematic in side view. A multinucleated muscle cell is aspirated into a large bore, cylindrical micropipette (of radius R_p). The shear stress, τ_cell, acting on the cell is integrated over the aspirated length of cell into the pipette, L_asp, to give the peeling tension T_peel. At a flow rate of 10 μL/min, the Reynolds number for a 75-μm diameter pipette is 47.2. The motorized stage is translated to the left at V_stage in an effort to approximate or exceed V_peel. A typical inclination angle of the pipette, ϕ, is 30–40°. (B) An enlarged view illustrates the height difference, h, established between the pipette and the top of the cell. Although h can vary between experiments, h is held constant once peeling begins, and is ∼5 μm. As sketched, receptor-ligand bonds between the cell and the substrate are broken during peeling. The amount of bending that occurs is influenced by ϕ, T_peel, and the adhesion strength.