Figures
Microtubules regulate cell geometry.
The regulation of cell shape and size is important for a wide variety of biological processes. A study conducted at University College London (see Picone et al., e1000542) reveals that microtubules (shown in green) impose unexpected limits on cell geometry, which enable cells to regulate their length. Since cells are the building blocks and architects of tissue morphogenesis, such intrinsically defined limits may be important for development and homeostasis in multicellular eukaryotes.
Image Credit: Remigio Picone, Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College London
Citation: (2010) PLoS Biology Issue Image | Vol. 8(11) November 2010. PLoS Biol 8(11): ev08.i11. https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pbio.v08.i11
Published: November 30, 2010
Copyright: © 2010 Picone et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The regulation of cell shape and size is important for a wide variety of biological processes. A study conducted at University College London (see Picone et al., e1000542) reveals that microtubules (shown in green) impose unexpected limits on cell geometry, which enable cells to regulate their length. Since cells are the building blocks and architects of tissue morphogenesis, such intrinsically defined limits may be important for development and homeostasis in multicellular eukaryotes.
Image Credit: Remigio Picone, Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College London