Mechanical Engineering of the Cytoskeleton in Developmental Biology

Developing organisms are systems in which the geometry, dynamics, and boundary conditions are all changing in the course of morphogenesis. The morphogenesis of cells and organisms appear to be mediated in part by the mechanically active components of the cytoskeleton. Mechanical forces have long been considered secondary to the effects of molecular mechanisms in cell growth, differentiation, and development. This volume explores the role of mechanical forces in cell growth and development and demonstrates its importance. This volume will prove invaluable to all biologists interested in the fundamentals of mechanical forces in development, from the advanced to the graduate researcher.