Sorry for asking layman question. I read some article where it mentioned that cell-scale stresses fluctuate rapidly and enabling cell rearrangements. What they mean by stresses for cell here how it can be measured? Is there possibility to measure stress of cell from 3d tissue tif images.
Thanks.
Cell's mechanical properties are mostly defined by the cytoskeleton, located inside of the cell, which is composed of several types of fibers. The cytoskeleton is a kind of scaffold.
Cell membrane itself cannot sustain too large mechanical loads. Load from membrane it transferred into the cytoskeleton inside of the cell using anchorage points in the cell membrane.
When is cell loaded, it can rearrange itself to accommodate the imposed load(s) quite quickly. A cell can even crawl using cytoskeleton, it can extend itself and then move the center gravity towards this extended region.
From this is evident that measuring cell's stores from snapshots of its movement can be problematic as the cell is capable of actively increase or decrease stress in any of its parts.
The best way is to measure it directly but it is extremely difficult due to the cell size and its morphology.
Thanks a lot Kroc for the explanation. So, cell stress can be increase or decrease in some parts. Suppose, I have a two system of equal volume and have equal number of cells. Is it possible to say that one system have higher stress and other one is lower stress.
Also, do you know how stress can define the solid or fluid nature of system. If certain number of cells have higher stress in one class than another. Can we say that one class of cells have fluid nature and another class of cells have solid nature?
Before you try to find an answer to your questions, I recommend you to study cell migration, try to observe some videos too, cell proliferation by splitting into two parts, and morphological growth of tissues, organs, and bodies.
You will enter a fascinating world of quite strong mechanical forces that enables cells to accomplish quite difficult feats.
Try to read and study this:
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filopodia
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphology_(biology)
-https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitosis
Gi for some good reviews or even books. You will be amazed at how clever are cell and tissues. :-)
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Anatomy
- Tissue