Figure 1.

(A) Micrograph of a single bleb induced by laser ablation on the surface of a HeLa cell 43 s after initial formation, taken from (64). (B) Model components. At each location on the surface of the cell, x, four quantities are represented: the height of the membrane, $y_{\text{M}}\left(x,t\right)$; the height and thickness of the actin cortex, $y_{\text{C}}\left(x,t\right)$ and $C\left(x,t\right),$ respectively; and the local density of membrane-cortex anchoring proteins, $A\left(x,t\right)$. Note that the schematic shows the range of possible model states (e.g., thick or thin cortex, protruding or proximal membrane), whereas specific predicted dynamics will be determined by simulation. To see this figure in color, go online.