A mathematical analysis of elongation and constriction in cell division

An equation for the rate of elongation of a dividing egg is integrated and generalized. The rates of elongation and constriction of a number of eggs under various conditions are analyzed and compared with the theoretical predictions. The theory accounts rather well for a large body of data on elongation and constriction. The general shapes of the elongation and constriction curves are predicted and the orders of magnitude of the parameters are satisfactory. One of the parameters for the elongation curves is related theoretically to the parameter of the constriction curves, and the correct order of magnitude is obtained if one parameter is predicted from the other.