A new study reveals that sea squirt oocytes use internal friction to undergo developmental changes post-conception, drawing an interesting parallel to a potter shaping clay. Ascidians, or sea squirts, serve as key models for understanding vertebrate development, sharing similarities with humans. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Scientists examine how friction forces propel development in a marine organism.
As the potter works the spinning wheel, the friction between their hands and the soft clay helps them shape it into all kinds of forms and creations.
In a fascinating parallel, sea squirt oocytes (immature egg cells) harness friction within various compartments in their interior to undergo developmental changes after conception.
A study from the Heisenberg group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), published in Nature Physics, now describes how this works. READ MORE...
