In the context of physical systems, tissues are hierarchically organized assemblies of cells and extracellular matrix that exhibit emergent mechanical, transport, and signaling properties distinct from those of their individual components. They function as active, viscoelastic materials capable of growth, remodeling, force generation, and collective migration, governed by mechano-chemical feedback and spatial patterning. Tissue-level behavior arises from cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, including adhesion, cytoskeletal dynamics, and morphogen gradients, and can be modeled using continuum mechanics, active matter frameworks, or agent-based approaches to capture processes such as morphogenesis, homeostasis, and mechanotransduction in developmental and physiological systems.
When a wound on the skin creates a gap, the epithelial cells of the skin, surrounding the wound, move in a concerted fashion to close this gap. The boundaries of these gaps can have different curvatures; they could either ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 18, 2025
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168
Bioengineered organs are no longer just structural substitutes. A review published in Trends in Biotechnology introduces a groundbreaking concept: biohybrid-engineered tissue (BHET) platforms—living constructs integrated ...
Biotechnology
Jul 18, 2025
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29
Every day, your body replaces billions of cells—and yet, your tissues stay perfectly organized. How is that possible?
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 15, 2025
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118
Cell sheet preparation for use in tissue engineering and regenerative therapies could be significantly improved with the use of thermo-responsive polymer brushes, adjusted in length and density according to specific cell ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 3, 2025
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23
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a previously unknown process used by epithelial cells to alleviate epithelial tissue crowding and avoid cell damage and loss, according to a recent study published in Nature ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 24, 2025
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25
Water makes up around 60% of the human body. More than half of this water sloshes around inside the cells that make up organs and tissues. Much of the remaining water flows in the nooks and crannies between cells, much like ...
Soft Matter
Jun 20, 2025
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116
Animals, from worms and sponges to jellyfish and whales, contain anywhere from a few thousand to tens of trillions of nearly genetically identical cells. Depending on the organism, these cells arrange themselves into a variety ...
Evolution
Jun 17, 2025
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199
Epithelial tissues are in constant interaction with their environment. Maintaining their functionality requires dynamic balance (homeostasis) and that their cell numbers are tightly regulated. This is achieved by cell extrusion ...
General Physics
Jan 9, 2025
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38
It's almost time to dust off the Halloween decorations and adorn the house with all manner of spooky things, including the classic polyester spider webs. Scientists reporting in ACS Nano have made their own version of fake ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 24, 2024
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109
Researchers have developed a new way to see organs within a body by rendering overlying tissues transparent to visible light. The counterintuitive process—a topical application of food-safe dye—was reversible in tests with ...
Optics & Photonics
Sep 5, 2024
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