期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1970
卷号：67
期号：1
页码：338-344
DOI：10.1073/pnas.67.1.338
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：It is proposed that the diatom raphe is a parallel-plate capillary containing a fluid which reacts at the trailing end, turning into a form which no longer "wets" the raphe walls, and which is left behind as a trail. More unreacted raphe fluid is drawn by capillary pressure from a source near the leading end of the raphe. This fluid sticks out from the raphe along its length, adhering to surfaces, thus causing gliding locomotion. Formulae are given for the maximum velocity and force of a moving diatom in terms of the raphe dimensions and the surface tension and viscosity of the fluid. An a priori estimate of the force exerted by a moving diatom, 1-50 millidynes, agrees with measured values. Five experimental tests of the theory are proposed.
