Biology – Quantitative Biology – Neurons and Cognition
Scientific paper
2011-04-06
Biology
Quantitative Biology
Neurons and Cognition
24 pages, 9 figures
Scientific paper
The mean first passage time (MFPT) for a Brownian particle to reach a small target in cellular microdomains is a key parameter for chemical activation. Although asymptotic estimations of the MFPT are available for various geometries, these formula cannot be applied to degenerated structures where one dimension of is much smaller compared to the others. Here we study the narrow escape time (NET) problem for a Brownian particle to reach a small target located on the surface of a flat cylinder, where the cylinder height is comparable to the target size, and much smaller than the cylinder radius. When the cylinder is sealed, we estimate the MFPT for a Brownian particle to hit a small disk located centrally on the lower surface. For a laterally open cylinder, we estimate the conditional probability and the conditional MFPT to reach the small disk before exiting through the lateral opening. We apply our results to diffusion in the narrow synaptic cleft, and compute the fraction and the mean time for neurotransmitters to find their specific receptors located on the postsynaptic terminal. Finally, we confirm our formulas with Brownian simulations.
Holcman David
Reingruber Juergen
No associations
LandOfFree
The Narrow Escape problem in a flat cylindrical microdomain with application to diffusion in the synaptic cleft does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Narrow Escape problem in a flat cylindrical microdomain with application to diffusion in the synaptic cleft, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Narrow Escape problem in a flat cylindrical microdomain with application to diffusion in the synaptic cleft will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-418000