A Non-autonomous Model of the Cell Cycle
by
Sean Ellermeyer
Kennesaw State University

We consider a cell cycle model in which the growth pattern of cells is assumed to be time-dependent. This time dependence might be due to variations in environmental conditions such as fluctuations in nutrient levels or to some other (not necessarily specified or known) causes. A simplifying feature of our model is that all cells are assumed to undergo mitosis at some given size (M). However, our approach allows for variations in generation times and for the possibility of cell shrinkage. This is a preliminary report in which we introduce the model, consider some examples that illustrate the model, and compare our approach to existing models of the cell cycle.

Date received: February 21, 2009