Deflection of a cell membrane under application of a local force

If a localized force or torque (caused by an integral protein, a receptor, a cantilever of the atomic force microscope, a cell-kicking instrument, and so on) is applied to the surface of a cell membrane it is deflected in a small region. Equations describing the statics and dynamics of small local deflections of the cell membrane are deduced and the Green function of the state equation is calculated. The force-displacement dependence for an atomic force microscope in the regime of small indentation is discussed.