Order and disorder in biological systems through negative cross diffusion of mitotic inhibitor - a mathematical model

Abstract

A negative feedback epigenetic control system involving synthesis of the mitotic inducing and inhibiting proteins, simultaneously with the intercellular self-diffusion and cross-diffusion of the latter only have been proposed in this paper. By this model we can explain clearly the mechanisms of three types of cellular development, namely, ordered structure during embryonic development, normal tissue growth and tumor growth, respectively, for different ranges of values of the ratio of self-diffusion and cross-diffusion.