2015/12/03 by Celeste M. Nelson · 1 voice · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · #Advanced Materials and Mechanics #Cellular Mechanics and Interactions #Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1115/1.4032128
openalex publication_date 2015/12/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/18
Cell-generated mechanical forces drive many of the tissue movements and rearrangements that are required to transform simple populations of cells into the complex three-dimensional geometries of mature organs. However, mechanical forces do not need to arise from active cellular movements. Recent studies have illuminated the roles of passive forces that result from mechanical instabilities between epithelial tissues and their surroundings. These mechanical instabilities cause essentially one-dimensional epithelial tubes and two-dimensional epithelial sheets to buckle or wrinkle into complex topologies containing loops, folds, and undulations in organs as diverse as the brain, the intestine, and the lung. Here, I highlight examples of buckling and wrinkling morphogenesis, and suggest that this morphogenetic mechanism may be broadly responsible for sculpting organ form.