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Related Concept Videos

Structures of Solids02:22

Structures of Solids

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Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
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Molecular and Ionic Solids02:54

Molecular and Ionic Solids

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Crystalline solids are divided into four types: molecular, ionic, metallic, and covalent network based on the type of constituent units and their interparticle interactions.
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
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Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

18.0K
Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and...
18.0K
Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

13.9K
Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
13.9K
Lattice Centering and Coordination Number02:33

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

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The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
9.4K
Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity02:24

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

16.5K
It is essential to understand the difference between chiral and achiral interactions and the implications thereof in optical activity and their applications. Just as our feet, which are chiral, interact uniquely with chiral objects, such as a pair of shoes, but identically with achiral socks, enantiomers of a molecule exhibit different properties only when they interact with other chiral media. An example of a significant implication from this facet is the phenomenon known as optical activity,...
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Updated: May 9, 2025

Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics
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Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics

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Orientational ordering in active nematic solids.

Haiqian Yang1, Ming Guo1, L Mahadevan2,3,4

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.

Arxiv
|April 29, 2025
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular activity in cell-extracellular matrix systems drives fiber alignment, mimicking liquid crystal phase transitions. This study provides a theoretical framework and simulations explaining pattern formation in these active composites.

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) systems exhibit ordered fiber alignment.
  • This phenomenon is analogous to phase transitions in passive liquid crystalline elastomers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To interpret cell-ECM fiber alignment as an active analog of isotropic-nematic phase transitions.
  • To develop a theoretical framework explaining pattern formation in cell-matrix composites.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a minimal theoretical framework coupling cellular mechanical stress and liquid crystal elastomer elasticity.
  • Utilized linear stability analysis to study the onset of periodic morphologies.
  • Employed finite element simulations to analyze nonlinear behavior.

Main Results:

  • The onset of periodic morphologies depends on cellular activity, elasticity, and applied strain.
  • Derived an expression for the wavelength of the observed instability.
  • Simulations confirmed the predictions from linear analysis.

Conclusions:

  • The theoretical framework quantitatively explains the onset and evolution of nematic order in cell-matrix composites.
  • Findings offer insights into active matter physics and biomaterial design.