Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Analyzing the Function of Small GTPases by Microinjection of Plasmids into Polarized Epithelial Cells
Published on: May 31, 2011
Polarity as a physiological modulator of cell function
Maria E Piroli1, James O Blanchette1, Ehsan Jabbarzadeh2
1Biomedical Engineering Program, University of South Carolina, 301 Main St, Columbia, SC 29208.
Abstract:
Cell polarity, the asymmetric distribution of proteins, organelles, and cytoskeleton, plays an important role in development, homeostasis, and disease. Understanding the mechanisms that govern cell polarity is critical for creating strategies to treat developmental defects, accelerate tissue regeneration, and hinder cancer progression. This review focuses on the role of cell polarity in a number of physiological processes, including asymmetric division, cell migration, immune response mediated by T lymphocytes, and cancer progression and metastasis, and highlights microfabrication techniques to systematically parse the role of microenvironmental cues in the regulation of cell polarity.
Related Concept Videos
Physiology of Respiration I: Functions of the Respiratory System
Fundamental Processes in Respiration:
Group Polarization
Molecular Shape and Polarity
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins
Polar Coordinates
Polarity of the Cytoskeleton

