Mathematical models and computer simulations of proliferation of human diploid fibroblast clones.

A mathematical model based on the simple concept of an oscillatory mechanism for regulation of cellular proliferation has been developed that describes the growth of clones of human diploid fibroblasts in vitro. Lineages of these cells have been obtained from time-lapse cinematographic sequences of proliferating clones. Computer simulations based upon the oscillator model have generated genealogies that behave as the experimentally-derived genealogies.