Cells' Responses to Gravity

scubacuda writes "Science@NASA has an article on how cells respond to gravity in unexpected ways. Cell skeletons ("cytoskeletons") consist of protein molecules arranged into chains very much like Kenneth Snelson's Needletower , a tensegrity (tension gravity) sculpture built in 1969. This tension is what makes red blood cells flat and human endothelial cell filaments' geodesic-domes triangular-shaped."

Comments

Biotech?

[1WingedAngel]

Very flat cells with taut cytoskeletons somehow sense that more cells are needed--to cover a cut, for example. Rounder, cramped cells might sense an overpopulation problem and decide it's time to die and make room for others. In either case, they are responding to a control system in which the shape-shifting cytoskeleton serves as a switching mechanism.

Maybe with this knowledge, more biotechnology could be devised using tensegrity to form the cells into multi-state transistors based on shape and rigidity.

Tim

did you read the article ?

[J x]

from the article:

"The word 'tensegrity' is an invention: a contraction of 'tensional integrity.'

..NOT tension gravity as the story suggests.

Err...

[SnoopDobb]

"Kenneth Snelson's Needletower , a tensegrity (tension gravity) sculpture built in 1969."

Umm.. The article linked to the word tensegrity specifically states that:

"The word 'tensegrity' is an invention: a contraction of 'tensional integrity.'"

C'mon editors, would it have been that tough to actually look at the page you linked to?

Single cell life forms

[sckeener]

The last slide of my talk was a picture of the universe: super clusters of galaxies. Next to it was a one of capillary cells in a dish, formed into networks. The two pictures looked identical.

My wife was right! The universe is a giant prokaryote!