Cells move as concentration shifts
Monday, July 29, 2013 - 14:20
in Biology & Nature
Sheets of biological cells move along the organs they cover by altering the external concentrations of specific molecules. What do wound healing, cancer metastasis, and bacteria colonies have in common? They all involve the collective displacement of biological cells. New research sheds some new light on the physical mechanisms provoking the displacement of a sheet of cell, known as an epithelium. It typically covers our organs including the stomach and intestine, as well as our epidermis. In a new article scientists explain the importance of understanding the displacement of the epithelium as a means of influencing the biological process involved in healing.