A Two-Dimensional Model of the Colonic Crypt Accounting for the Role of the Basement Membrane and Pericryptal Fibroblast Sheath
Figure 12
Deforming a flat epithelial layer to adopt the test-tube shape of the crypt, as viewed in a cross-section.
To achieve this, a non-zero spontaneous curvature region is defined in the centre of the monolayer, equal to 20% of the width of the tissue block. It is also necessary to increase the size of the stromal cell compartment, as well as define a sufficiently wide epithelial monolayer. Each image from (a) to (h) is a snapshot in time, and the layer is fully deformed after approximately 100 cell hours.