Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 11, 2025
08:34
Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
15.6K
Modeling homeostasis mechanisms that set the target cell size
Cesar A Vargas-Garcia1,2, Mikael Björklund3,4, Abhyudai Singh5,6,7
1Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria-Agrosavia, Mosquera, Colombia. cavargas@agrosavia.co.
Scientific Reports
|August 20, 2020
Summary
Organisms control cell size homeostasis using mathematical models. This study reveals that regulating cell growth and division timing maximizes proliferation capacity at a target cell size.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Mathematical Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Cell size homeostasis is crucial for multicellular organisms but remains poorly understood.
- Cellular proliferation varies non-monotonically with cell size in many animal cell types, being lowest for small and large cells and highest at intermediate sizes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore size-control strategies that explain the non-monotonic proliferation profile.
- To identify mechanisms driving maximized proliferation capacity at a target cell size.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mathematical modeling to analyze cell size control strategies.
- Investigated conditions leading to non-monotonic proliferation capacity.
- Examined growth rate dependencies and cell division models (Adder, Sizer-Adder).
Main Results:
- Most cell size control models show monotonic proliferation capacity.
- Non-monotonicity requires growth rate to decrease in large cells and specific division mechanisms (Adder or Sizer-Adder).
- Observed growth rate patterns in Jurkat T cells align with theoretical predictions.
Conclusions:
- Joint regulation of cell growth and division timing is essential for animal cell size control.
- This coordinated regulation establishes a target cell size that maximizes cellular proliferation capacity.
Related Concept Videos
02:36Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
4.9K
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,...
4.9K
01:16What is Homeostasis?
51.1K
Maintaining homeostasis requires that the body continuously maintain its internal conditions. Each physiological condition has a particular set point, from body temperature to blood pressure to levels of certain nutrients. A set point is the physiological value around which the normal range fluctuates. A normal range is a restricted set of values that is optimally healthful and stable. For example, the set point for normal human body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F).
51.1K
01:28The Cell Cycle Control System
5.0K
The cell cycle regulation directs how a cell proceeds from one phase to the next and begins mitosis. The cell cycle control system includes intracellular regulatory molecules and external triggers. They provide "stop" or "advance" signals and operate at specific cell cycle stages termed checkpoints to ensure that a particular process is completed before the cell advances to the next phase.
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are the primary cell cycle regulators and...
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are the primary cell cycle regulators and...
5.0K
02:11The Cell Cycle Control System
13.5K
The cell cycle is an organized set of events that leads the cell to divide into two daughter cells, each containing chromosomes identical to the parent cell. It is the cell cycle that leads to the formation of an entire organism from a single-cell zygote. Besides, cell division also functions in the renewal or repair of tissues in adult multicellular eukaryotes. For example, in the bone marrow, the stem cells divide to form new blood cells. Although essential for several functions, cell...
13.5K
01:22Target Cell Response to Hormones
4.8K
Hormones intricately bind to receptors on the surface or within target cells, initiating a cascade of cellular responses.
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...
4.8K
01:18Positive and Negative Feedback Loops
23.3K
Animal organs and organ systems constantly adjust to internal and external changes through a process called homeostasis ("steady state"). Examples of these changes include regulation of the level of glucose or calcium in the blood or internal responses to external temperatures. Homeostasis requires maintaining an internal dynamic equilibrium:
23.3K