A model of cell sorting.
Voronoi polygons are introduced as a suitable representation for a two-dimensional cell sheet. These polygons are defined in terms of a finite number of points, making numerical simulations tractable and yet allowing cells to change neighbors and their shape in response to deforming forces without leaving gaps in the tissue. Using this geometry and an extension of the equilibrium theory proposed by Steinberg to drive the motion, simulations of rounding of uneven tissue and engulfment of two intact tissues are carried out.
D000663:Amphibians / Q000196:embryology*; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement; D003201:Computers; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis