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Cell Movement and Cell Spreading: a Passive or an Active Process ?

Abstract

Wolpert, Macpherson and Todd1 have recently described some experiments on the effects of temperature on the spreading and rounding up of cultured cells. They believe their findings invalidate the “passive” theory of tissue cell movement which I have previosly put forward2. In this theory, the advancement of the cell margin during spreading or locomotion is considered to be passive in the sense that it is analogous to the spreading of a liquid on a suitably wettable surface. It is helpful to express the theory in terms of surface (interfacial) tensions because it places adequate emphasis on the part played by the medium and the substrate.

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References

  1. Wolpert, L., Macpherson, I., and Todd, I., Nature, 223, 512 (1969).

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  2. Carter, S. B., Nature, 213, 256 (1967).

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  3. Carter, S. B., Exp. Cell Res., 42, 395 (1966).

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CARTER, S. Cell Movement and Cell Spreading: a Passive or an Active Process ?. Nature 225, 858–859 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/225858a0

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