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.
Cells are not isolated units; they continuously exchange proteins, genetic material, and even entire organelles with their neighbors. Intercellular transfer influences how tissues develop, respond to stress, and repair damage. ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 3, 2026
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11
EPFL scientists have discovered that a simple shape change in mitochondria helps cells evenly distribute their mitochondrial DNA, solving a long-standing puzzle.
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 2, 2026
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114
Before a cell can divide, it has to precisely duplicate its entire genetic information. However, the DNA in the cell exists as part of a DNA-protein complex known as chromatin. For this purpose, the DNA is wrapped around ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 1, 2026
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10
A research team led by Potsdam-based bioinformatician Prof. Dr. Zoran Nikoloski has developed a computational approach and an accompanying tool that enables the detailed analysis and reconstruction of actin filamentous structures ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 30, 2026
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4
Scientists led by Sergey Troyanovsky, Ph.D., professor of Dermatology and of Cell and Developmental Biology, have uncovered new intracellular mechanisms promoting cell-cell adhesion, a process disrupted in a variety of skin ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 30, 2026
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4
When cells experience enough chronic stress, they can stop dividing permanently. In this state of cellular limbo, known as replicative senescence, cells remain alive but no longer proliferate. Pinpointing the stressors that ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 30, 2026
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7
Some of the signs of aging in human cells originate in the cell nucleus, because the packaged form of DNA changes with age. This has now been demonstrated by PSI researchers. It means that older cells can no longer react ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 26, 2026
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111
Microtubules, the dynamic filaments that form the cell's internal scaffolding, have long been viewed as mere passive structural supports. But a new study reveals they play a far more active signaling role. The findings, published ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 25, 2026
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71
Researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in China have developed a streamlined process that makes it easier to produce tiny therapeutic particles released by cells, called exosomes, which are being explored ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 24, 2026
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75
An international research team from Bielefeld University and the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) has uncovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in human cells. For the first time, they ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 22, 2026
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