Cell breakage, mechanical disruption

Figure 1 Extent of cell breakage and release of cellular protein DNA, and RNA during mechanical disruption with. 1 mm glass beads ...

For a Hookian material, the concept of minimum strain energy states that a material fails, for example cell wall disruption occurs, when the total strain energy per unit volume attains a critical value. Such an approach has been used in the past to describe a number of experimental observations on the breakage of filamentous micro-organisms [78,79]. Unfortunately, little direct experimental data are available on the Young s modulus of elasticity, E, or shear modulus of elasticity G representing the wall properties of biomaterial. Few (natural) materials behave in an ideal Hookian manner and in the absence of any other information, it is not unreasonable to assume that the mechanical properties of the external walls of biomaterials will be anisotropic and anelastic. 

Physical or mechanical methods of cell disruption are the most widely researched in terms of containment. The underlying principle is either by breakage of the cell wall by mechanical contact, the application of liquid or hydrodynamic shear forces, or the application of solid shear forces. Cell disruption by non-physical methods generally involve simple operations which may be carried out in large tanks or vessels, which may or may not require agitation. 

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