1210.7164 (Margriet M. Palm et al.)

Vascular networks due to dynamically arrested crystalline ordering of
elongated cells    [PDF]

Margriet M. Palm, Roeland M. H. Merks

Recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that crystallization and glass-like solidification are useful analogies for understanding cell ordering in confluent biological tissues. It remains unexplored how cellular ordering contributes to pattern formation during morphogenesis. With a computational model we show that a system of elongated, cohering biological cells can get dynamically arrested in a network pattern. Our model provides a new explanation for the formation of cellular networks in culture systems that exclude intercellular interaction via chemotaxis or mechanical traction.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1210.7164