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Related Concept Videos

Centrioles and Centrosomes01:13

Centrioles and Centrosomes

Most animal cells comprise a pair of centrioles together called a centrosome. The cell duplicates its centrosome and contains two centrosomes side-by-side, which begin to move apart during the prophase. As the centrosomes migrate to two different sides of the cell, microtubules start extending from each centrosome toward the other end. The mitotic spindle is composed of the centrosomes and their emerging microtubules.
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Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
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Determining the Plane of Cell Division02:13

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Cell Size01:22

Cell Size

Cell sizes vary widely among and within organisms. Bacterial cells range between 1-10 micrometers (μm)and are considerably smaller than most eukaryotic cells. The smallest bacteria are 0.1 μm in diameter—about a thousand times smaller than eukaryotic cells, which typically range from 10-100 μm.Surface AreaCells can take in nutrients and water via diffusion through the plasma membrane itself or through specific channels in the membrane. The area of the membrane surrounding the cells limits the...
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
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Cell Diversity

The concept of a cell started with microscopic observations of dead cork tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665. Hooke coined the term "cell" based on the resemblance of the small subdivisions in the cork to the rooms that monks inhabited, called cells. About ten years later, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek became the first person to observe the living and moving cells under a microscope. In the century that followed, the theory that cells represented the basic unit of life developed.
Multicellular organisms...

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Workflow Using a Cryogenic Coincident Fluorescence, Electron, and Ion Beam Microscope for Targeted Milling of Cells
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How does a millimeter-sized cell find its center?

Martin Wühr1, Sophie Dumont, Aaron C Groen

  • 1Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 USA. Martin.Wuehr@gmx.de

Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|March 14, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microtubule-driven nucleus centering varies by cell size. In large frog eggs, asters move centrally via pushing forces, not pulling, and self-organize.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Microtubules are crucial for nuclear and spindle positioning in eukaryotic cells.
  • Centering mechanisms differ based on cell size and type, with distinct physical principles at play.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate microtubule organization and aster positioning in large fertilized Xenopus eggs.
  • To re-evaluate established models of cell centering in the context of large cell dimensions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of classic experiments on fertilized amphibian eggs.
  • Analysis of microtubule aster behavior and positioning within the cell.

Main Results:

  • Cortical pulling mechanisms are insufficient for centering in very large cells like Xenopus eggs due to microtubule length limitations.
  • Microtubule asters in large eggs exhibit self-organization, centering relative to the cell boundary and each other.
  • Pushing forces from growing microtubules against the cell boundary are implicated in centering.

Conclusions:

  • The widely assumed cortical pulling model for cell centering is not universally applicable, particularly in very large cells.
  • Microtubule aster dynamics in large cells involve complex interactions and self-organization for central positioning.