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

Structural Organization of the Human Body: An Overview

Structural Organization of the Human Body: An Overview

It is convenient to consider the body's structures in terms of fundamental levels of organization that increase in complexity: subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms.
To study the chemical level of organization, scientists consider the simplest building blocks of matter: subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules. All matter in the universe is composed of one or more unique pure substances called elements, familiar examples of...

Levels of Organization

Levels of Organization

Biological organization is the classification of biological structures, ranging from atoms at the bottom of the hierarchy to the Earth's biosphere. Each level of the hierarchy represents an increase in complexity that builds upon the previous level.
Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:
The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules...

Cell Diversity

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...

Cellular Differentiation

Cellular Differentiation

How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
A zygote is a...

What are Cells?

What are Cells?

Cells are the smallest and basic units of life, whether it is a single cell that forms the entire organism, e.g., in a bacterium, or trillions of them, e.g., in humans. No matter what organism a cell is a part of, they share specific characteristics.
Basic Characteristics of Cells
A living cell has a plasma membrane, a bilayer of lipids that separates the aqueous solution inside the cell called the cytoplasm from the outside environment.
Furthermore, a living cell possesses genetic information...

What are Cells?

What are Cells?

Cells are the smallest and basic units of life, whether it is a single cell that forms the entire organism, e.g., in a bacterium or trillions of them, e.g., in humans. No matter what organism a cell is a part of, they share specific characteristics.
Basic Characteristics of Cells
A living cell has a plasma membrane, a bilayer of lipids that separates the aqueous solution inside the cell called the cytoplasm from the outside environment.
Furthermore, a living cell possesses genetic information...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Glycogen-dependent demixing of frog egg cytoplasm at increased crowding.

Biophysical journal·2026

Same author

Rebinding drives cellular retention of small-molecule drugs with abundant targets.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Structure-based discovery of selective vaccinia-related kinase 1 inhibitors and fluorogenic active-site probes.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2026

Same author

Spatial control of Keratin 8 phosphorylation by Aurora B facilitates cytokinesis in cancer cells of epithelial origin.

The FEBS journal·2026

Same author

An abundant membrane protein in the NCAM superfamily is required for epithelial organization in sea anemone embryos.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

Dynamic microtubules as sensors in animal cells.

Biophysical journal·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

Self-Organization of Cellular Units.

Timothy J Mitchison^1,2, Christine M Field^1,2

¹Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; email: timothy_mitchison@hms.harvard.edu, christine_field@hms.harvard.edu.

Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology

|June 29, 2021

Summary

Self-organizing mechanisms pattern microtubules and organize cell cytoplasm. These processes, observed in frog eggs, involve autocatalytic nucleation and cytoplasmic partitioning, offering insights into cell structure.

Keywords:

centrosome cytoskeleton microtubules nucleation self-organization syncytium

More Related Videos

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 28, 2018

Directed Cellular Self-Assembly to Fabricate Cell-Derived Tissue Rings for Biomechanical Analysis and Tissue Engineering

Directed Cellular Self-Assembly to Fabricate Cell-Derived Tissue Rings for Biomechanical Analysis and Tissue Engineering

Published on: November 25, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 28, 2018

Directed Cellular Self-Assembly to Fabricate Cell-Derived Tissue Rings for Biomechanical Analysis and Tissue Engineering

Directed Cellular Self-Assembly to Fabricate Cell-Derived Tissue Rings for Biomechanical Analysis and Tissue Engineering

Published on: November 25, 2011

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Developmental Biology

Background:

Subcellular organization relies on complex patterning mechanisms.
Self-organizing processes are increasingly recognized for their role in cellular architecture.
Centrosomes are traditionally viewed as key organizers, but alternative mechanisms exist.

Purpose of the Study:

To review self-organizing mechanisms for microtubule (MT) patterning and animal cell cytoplasm organization.
To explore mechanisms generating radial MT arrays and cell centers without centrosomes.
To discuss cytoplasmic partitioning in syncytia, including early embryonic development.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature and experimental data, particularly from frog egg extract.
Conceptual analysis of self-organizing versus templating mechanisms.
Discussion of specific molecular players and their roles in MT organization and cytokinesis.

Main Results:

Self-organizing mechanisms can generate radial MT arrays and cell centers independently of centrosomes.
Autocatalytic MT nucleation and transport of MT minus ends are key processes.
Organelles like melanosomes and Golgi vesicles can serve as nucleation sites.
Specific modules (PRC1-KIF4A, CPC-KIF20A) mediate cytoplasmic partitioning in syncytia.
These principles may apply to various syncytial structures, including early embryos.

Conclusions:

Self-organization provides fundamental principles for MT and cytoplasm patterning.
Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for comprehending cell division and development.
Shared principles govern MT-based self-organization across different cellular contexts.