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The Physical Mechanical Processes that Shape Tissues in the Early Embryo

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Cellular and Biomolecular Mechanics and Mechanobiology

Part of the book series: Studies in Mechanobiology, Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials ((SMTEB,volume 4))

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Abstract

The morphology of a multicellular organism and its internal organs is determined by interactions between an organism’s genome and the physical properties of living matter. Recent successes in sequencing the genome have revived interest the generation of physical shape, or morphogenesis, the physical properties of living matter, and how biological and biophysical processes shape that living matter during development. One of the goals of modern developmental biology is to understand how tissues are shaped and how physiological function is initiated. Remarkable advances in cell and molecular biology have led to a wealth of data on the molecular mechanisms required during early development. More recently, developmental biologists have been turning to biophysical and bioengineering approaches to understand how embryos as well as organs are shaped by these molecular mechanisms. These studies are finding hints that mechanical processes may be playing novel roles in developing embryos in addition to their direct roles in shaping tissues. Many early molecular pathways regulating cell differentiation and embryonic morphogenesis are reused as tumors grow and metastasize and during the regeneration of injured or damaged tissues. These discoveries have attracted cancer biologists and tissue engineers to join developmental biologists in studying the mechanical processes that drive morphogenesis. In this review we will present a short primer for the engineer on developmental biology and embryonic morphogenesis and then describe experimental and theoretical approaches to investigate the physical principles of morphogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by grants from the NSF (IOS-0845775) and the NIH (HD044750).

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  1. Departments of Bioengineering and Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, 5059-BST3, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Lance A. Davidson

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  1. Fac. Engineering, Dept. Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Amit Gefen

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Davidson, L.A. (2010). The Physical Mechanical Processes that Shape Tissues in the Early Embryo. In: Gefen, A. (eds) Cellular and Biomolecular Mechanics and Mechanobiology. Studies in Mechanobiology, Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials, vol 4. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/8415_2010_29

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