Subcellular structures are distinct, spatially organized physical systems within cells, encompassing membrane-bound organelles (e.g., mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes), non-membranous bodies (e.g., ribosomes, cytoskeleton, centrosomes), and specialized compartments (e.g., nucleolus, stress granules). They are defined by specific molecular compositions, biophysical properties, and emergent functions such as energy transduction, macromolecular synthesis, intracellular trafficking, signal transduction, and mechanical support. As physical systems, they exhibit dynamic self-assembly, phase separation, and regulated turnover, and their organization is governed by principles of thermodynamics, molecular crowding, and active processes driven by nucleotide hydrolysis and cytoskeletal forces.
Quantum materials—those with electronic properties that are governed by the principles of quantum mechanics, such as correlation and entanglement—can exhibit exotic behaviors under certain conditions, such as the ability ...
Condensed Matter
Aug 13, 2024
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101
Cilia are sensory structures extending from the surface of some cells. These hair-like structures are known to contribute to the sensorimotor capabilities of various living organisms, including humans.
What does the inside of a cell really look like? In the past, standard microscopes were limited in how well they could answer this question. Now, researchers from the Universities of Göttingen and Oxford, in collaboration ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 7, 2024
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97
A new, nano-scale look at how the SARS-CoV-2 virus replicates in cells may offer greater precision in drug development, a Stanford University team reports in Nature Communications. Using advanced microscopy techniques, the ...
Bio & Medicine
May 31, 2024
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363
In plants and animals, the basic packaging units of DNA, which carry genetic information, are the so-called nucleosomes. A nucleosome consists of a segment of DNA wound around eight proteins known as histones.
Bio & Medicine
May 10, 2024
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136
Protein-based drugs must be transported into cells in a way that prevents their immediate degradation. A new approach is intended to ensure that they remain intact only in certain cells, such as cancer cells. In a study published ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 28, 2024
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88
The membrane that encases a biological cell is not simply a barrier; it is chock full of proteins involved in all sorts of critical biological functions. To really understand what membrane proteins are doing and how, researchers ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 21, 2023
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77
Like loading dock managers at a shipping warehouse, nuclear pore complexes act as gatekeepers to the headquarters of the cell, controlling traffic out of the nucleus.
Bio & Medicine
Aug 25, 2023
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106
A new way to see details smaller than half the wavelength of light has revealed how nanoscale scaffolding inside cells bridges to the macroscale during cell division. Unlike earlier superresolution techniques, the one developed ...
Bio & Medicine
Jul 20, 2023
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94
Particles known as extracellular vesicles play a vital role in communication between cells and in many cell functions. Released by cells into their environment, these "membrane particles" consist of a cellular membrane carrying ...
Bio & Medicine
May 24, 2023
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97
