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. 2022 Nov 1;149(21):dev199794.
doi: 10.1242/dev.199794. Epub 2022 Nov 11.

Resolving morphogenesis into quantifiable cell behaviours

Jeremy B A Green  1
Affiliations

Resolving morphogenesis into quantifiable cell behaviours

Jeremy B A Green. Development. .

Abstract

Morphogenesis is extremely diverse, but its systematic quantification to determine the physical mechanisms that produce different phenotypes is possible by quantifying the underlying cell behaviours. These are limited and definable: they consist of cell proliferation, orientation of cell division, cell rearrangement, directional matrix production, cell addition/subtraction and cell size/shape change. Although minor variations in these categories are possible, in sum they capture all possible morphogenetic behaviours. This article summarises these processes, discusses their measurement, and highlights some salient examples.

Keywords: Cell behaviours; Growth; Morphogenesis; Quantitative biology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests The author declares no competing or financial interests.

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