Nanoscale hydrodynamics in the cell: Balancing motorized transport with diffusion

One of the central problems in the cell is how to transport molecules around the cell to desired locations. Since low Reynolds number conditions apply and diffusional times are large, without the aid of molecular motors to transport the fluid quickly cells could not survive, yet diffusion is still essential for the ultimate delivery of the goods. This paradox of low Reynolds number/large Peclet number has been solved by the algal weed Chara corallina in ingenious ways, as the recent paper by Goldstein, et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 105, 3663–3667 (2008)] discusses at a deep but accessible way using modern hydrodynamic modeling.