Sunflares

Darius Koester

This image shows a mammalian cell that is undergoing external stress. Cells must constantly adapt to external stresses and failure in this can lead to diseases. To understand such mechanisms, scientists change the environment of isolated cells drastically and follow their reaction. The plasma membrane (highlighted in the bottom row) undergoes cycles of detachment and reincorporation from the underlying cytoskeleton (highlighted in the top row). Here, you see the remarkable capability of cells to repair rapidly any damages in their cytoskeleton and to reincorporate loose parts of their outer membrane.

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