Science
Mitotic Spindles Behave Like Liquid Crystals, and the Math Proves It
Researchers confirm that the thousands of microtubules in cell-division spindles self-organize according to active liquid crystal physics.
Key Takeaways
- Research confirms mitotic spindles self-organize using the same physics governing liquid crystals in display screens
- Electron tomography and polarized light microscopy matched spindle behavior to active liquid crystal continuum models
- A handful of physical parameters explain how tens of thousands of microtubules collectively form precise chromosome-separating structures
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