Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Gastrulation

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...

Embryonic Connective Tissues

Embryonic Connective Tissues

During early development, the embryo forms two types of connective tissues— the mesenchyme and mucoid connective tissue.
The mesenchyme is the first connective tissue that emerges in the developing embryo. It consists of loosely arranged multipotent mesenchymal cells and reticular fibers in the extracellular matrix. This loose arrangement allows easy migration of cells, which is essential for germ layer positioning, patterning, and organ morphogenesis during embryonic development. Mesenchyme is...

Cleavage and Blastulation

Cleavage and Blastulation

After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.

Neurulation

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the anterior...

Development of Blood Vessels

Development of Blood Vessels

The development of the vascular system in a fetus is a complex and intricate process that begins as early as 15 to 16 days post-conception. This process starts outside the embryo, specifically in the mesoderm of the yolk sac, chorion, and connecting stalk. Approximately two days later, the formation of blood vessels occurs within the embryo itself.
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Anthracaurisin A─Discovery of a Cytotoxic <i>Nor</i>-Sesquiterpene Dimer from Patagonian <i>Anthracophyllum discolor</i>.

Journal of natural products·2026

Same author

StrainMapperJ: An Easy-to-Use Digital Image Correlation Toolkit for Exploring and Quantifying the Mechanics of Deforming Tissues.

Results and problems in cell differentiation·2026

Same author

Antinociceptive Benzothiazine and Benzothiazole Natural Products from Marine <i>Croceibacter atlanticus</i>.

Journal of natural products·2026

Same author

Supracellular Mechanics and Counter-Rotational Bilateral Flows Orchestrate Posterior Morphogenesis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Viscoelasticity during development: What is it? and why should you care?

Seminars in cell & developmental biology·2025

Same author

Supracellular contractility in Xenopus embryo epithelia regulated by extracellular ATP and the purinergic receptor P2Y2.

Journal of cell science·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Published on: June 5, 2018

Surprisingly simple mechanical behavior of a complex embryonic tissue.

Michelangelo von Dassow¹, James A Strother, Lance A Davidson

¹Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America. mvondass@yahoo.com

|January 5, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Embryonic tissues, despite their complexity, can be accurately modeled using simple linear viscoelastic properties. This study found no evidence of mechanical feedback influencing tissue behavior during development.

More Related Videos

Monitoring the Mechanical Evolution of Tissue During Neural Tube Closure of Chick Embryo

Monitoring the Mechanical Evolution of Tissue During Neural Tube Closure of Chick Embryo

Published on: November 10, 2023

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Published on: September 28, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Published on: June 5, 2018

Monitoring the Mechanical Evolution of Tissue During Neural Tube Closure of Chick Embryo

Monitoring the Mechanical Evolution of Tissue During Neural Tube Closure of Chick Embryo

Published on: November 10, 2023

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics

Published on: September 28, 2019

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Biophysics
Cell Mechanics

Background:

Embryonic morphogenesis involves complex tissue structures undergoing significant deformations.
Mechanical feedback is hypothesized to coordinate morphogenetic events.
Embryonic tissues are expected to exhibit non-linear and loading-rate dependent mechanical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine if a simple linear viscoelastic model adequately describes Xenopus laevis gastrula stage embryonic tissue mechanics in vivo.
To investigate if embryonic tissues alter mechanical properties in response to mechanical stimuli.
To test hypotheses regarding force generation patterns during electrically induced tissue contractions.

Main Methods:

Micro-aspiration technique applied to Xenopus laevis gastrula stage embryos.
Testing for changes in viscoelastic properties under varying stress and stress application rates.
Modeling force generation during electrically induced contractions based on suction pressure dependence.

Main Results:

A simple linear viscoelastic model with power law creep compliance effectively described embryonic tissue behavior, even under high deformations.
No evidence of mechanical feedback or changes in viscoelastic properties due to mechanical stimuli was observed.
Electrically induced contractions were most consistent with apical tension and inconsistent with isotropic contraction.
Increased clutch stiffness correlated with stronger contractions, suggesting coupled force generation and stiffness.

Conclusions:

Complex embryonic tissues can be effectively modeled using simple linear viscoelastic properties.
The study found no evidence for mechanical feedback influencing tissue mechanics in this system.
Simple mechanical models are valuable tools for understanding embryo mechanics and development.