Brownian motion, ionic flux, catalytic reaction and heterogeneous nucleation in biological systems

Abstract

A model to describe the arising of new structures in an initial homogeneous biological system is proposed. The essay is motivated by the intention to work on a non-equilibrium situation grouping together several mechanisms and processes as: catalytic reactions on a surface, diffusion, stimulated migration and selective heterogeneous reaction. A model for morphogenesis in early embryos is developed on two basic assumptions; (i) the existence of an electrified surface that defines the shape (form) of the growing structure and (ii) a mechanism to select morphogens (ions or free radicals) from an initially homogeneous medium. The homogeneity is broke when an electric potential arise between different parcels of the system, triggering a complex dynamic that drive the development of material deposits into localized regions of the space. The evolution of the deposits is described by a stochastic formalism allowing for analytical expressions relating macroscopic.