The distributed propulsive forces exerted on the flagellum of the swimming alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by surrounding fluid were estimated from experimental image data. Images of uniflagellate mutant Chlamydomonas cells were obtained at 350 frames/s with 125-nm spatial resolution, and the motion of the cell body and the flagellum were analyzed in the context of low-Reynolds-number fluid mechanics. Wild-type uniflagellate cells, as well as uniflagellate cells lacking inner dynein arms (ida3) or outer dynein arms (oda2) were studied. Ida3 cells exhibit stunted flagellar waveforms, whereas oda2 cells beat with lower frequency. Image registration and sorting algorithms provided high-resolution estimates of the motion of the cell body, as well as detailed kinematics of the flagellum. The swimming cell was modeled as an ellipsoid in Stokes flow, propelled by viscous forces on the flagellum. The normal and tangential components of force on the flagellum (f(N) and f(T)) were related by resistive coefficients (C(N) and C(T)) to the corresponding components of velocity (V(N) and V(T)).The values of these coefficients were estimated by satisfying equilibrium requirements for force and torque on the cell. The estimated values of the resistive coefficients are consistent among all three genotypes and similar to theoretical predictions.

Flagella and cilia are thin, active organelles protruding from cells that are used to propel the cell or move fluid. The flagellated alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a uni-cellular model organism well-suited for the study of flagellar and cilia mechanics.

The forces exerted on the flagellum of the swimming alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by surrounding fluid are estimated from video data. “Wild-type” cells, as well as cells lacking inner dynein arms (ida3) and cells lacking outer dynein arms (oda2) were imaged (350 fps; 125 nm). Digital image registration and sorting algorithms provide high-resolution descriptions of the kinematics of the cell body and flagellum. The swimming cell is then modeled as an ellipsoid in Stokes flow, propelled by viscous forces that depend linearly on the velocity of the flagellum. The coefficients (CN and CT) that related normal and tangent forces on the flagellum to corresponding velocity components are estimated from equilibrium requirements. Their values are consistent among all three genotypes and similar to theoretical predictions.