dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • Science

NUS Researchers Uncover How Fish Get Their Shape

  • December 23, 2019
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

The diverse colours, shapes and patterns of fish are captivating. Despite such diversity, a general feature that we can observe in fish such as salmon or tuna once they are served in a dish like sushi, is the distinct ‘V’ patterns in their meat. While this appears to be genetically observed in the muscle arrangement of most fish species, how such a generic ‘V’ pattern arises is puzzling.

Researchers from NUS Mechanobiology Institute found that the formation of the ‘V’ patterns – also known as chevron patterns – in the swimming muscles of fish do not simply arise from genetic instruction or biochemical pathways but actually require physical forces to correctly develop.

A team of researchers from NUS Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) investigated the science behind the formation of the ‘V’ patterns — also known as chevron patterns — in the swimming muscles of fish. The study focused on the myotome (a group of muscles served by a spinal nerve root) that makes up most of the fish body. These fish muscles power the fish’s side-to-side swimming motion and the chevron pattern is thought to increase swimming efficiency. Above is a microscope image of chevron patterns in zebrafish myotome.

The research team found that these patterns do not simply arise from genetic instruction or biochemical pathways but actually require physical forces to correctly develop. The findings of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on 26 November 2019.

A computer simulation of chevron formation. New cells progressively arrive from the tailbud on the right. Due to differential friction with neighbouring tissues, each segment of cells deforms into a ‘U’-shape, which is then sharpened by active stress into a ‘V’-shape pattern.

Friction and stress combine to shape patterns in fish muscle

The chevron pattern is not unique to salmon and tuna; it is also present in other fish species such as the zebrafish, as well as in some amphibian species like salamanders and frogs during development. The ‘V’ shape first appears in the somites — the precursor building blocks of the myotome, which forms the skeletal muscles. The somites typically form during the first few days of fish development or morphogenesis.

A team of scientists led by MBI Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Sham Tlili and Principal Investigator Assistant Professor Timothy Saunders studied chevron formation in the myotome of zebrafish embryos. Initially, each future developing myotome segment is cuboidal in shape. However, over the course of five hours, it deforms into a pointed ‘V’ shape. To find out how this deformation actually takes place, the team adopted a combination of different techniques — imaging of the developing zebrafish myotome at single-cell resolution; quantitative analysis of the imaging data; and fitting the quantitative data into biophysical models.

Based on findings from their experimental as well as theoretical studies, the MBI scientists identified certain physical mechanisms that they thought might be guiding chevron formation during fish development.

Firstly, the developing myotomes are physically connected to other embryonic tissues such as the neural tube, notochord, skin and ventral tissues. The strength of their connection to these different tissues varies at different time points of myotome formation, and accordingly, different amounts of friction are generated across the tissue. Effectively, the side regions of the developing myotome are under greater friction than the central region. As new segments push the myotome forward, this leads to the formation of a shallow ‘U’ shape in the myotome tissue.

Secondly, cells within the future myotome begin to elongate as they form muscle fibres. The research team revealed that this transformation process generates an active, non-uniform force along certain directions within the somite tissue, which results in the ‘U’ shape sharpening into the characteristic ‘V’-shaped chevron. Lastly, orientated cell rearrangements within the future myotome help to stabilise the newly acquired chevron shape.

Deciphering the patterns guiding organ formation

Asst Prof Saunders, a theoretical physicist who applies physical principles to characterise biological processes that take place during development, said, “This work reveals how a carefully balanced interplay between cell morphology and mechanical interactions can drive the emergence of complex shapes during development. We are excited to see if the principles we have revealed are also acting in the shaping of other organs.”

It is common to attribute anything ‘appearance-related’ to the genetics of an organism. Through this study, the MBI scientists show how temporally and spatially varying biophysical forces play a role in determining the form of an organism.

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Biology
  • Fish
  • NUS
majulah

Previous Article
  • Lah!
  • Science

Top 10 Must-See Museums In Singapore

  • December 23, 2019
View Post
Next Article
  • Lah!

7 Must-See Christmas Events In Singapore

  • December 23, 2019
View Post
You May Also Like
Semiconductor
View Post
  • Computing
  • Science

Decoding The Digital. Distinguishing Computer Science And Information Technology In Society And Industry.

  • Dean Marc
  • May 2, 2024
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Data
  • Research
  • Science

Generative AI Could Offer A Faster Way To Test Theories Of How The Universe Works

  • dotlah.com
  • March 17, 2024
Mercury
View Post
  • Science
  • Technology

Study: Global Deforestation Leads To More Mercury Pollution

  • dotlah.com
  • February 14, 2024
View Post
  • Science
  • Technology

Higher, Faster: What Influences The Aerodynamics Of A Football?

  • dotlah.com
  • February 11, 2024
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Science
  • Technology

A Glimpse Of The Next Generation Of AlphaFold

  • dotlah.com
  • November 6, 2023
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning
  • Science
  • Technology

AI in the Classroom: Amii’s K-12 Pilot Program

  • dotlah.com
  • October 23, 2023
View Post
  • Science
  • Technology

Learning How To Learn

  • John Francis
  • October 23, 2023
View Post
  • Engineering
  • Science
  • Technology

With Psyche, A Journey To An Ancient Asteroid Is Set To Begin

  • dotlah.com
  • October 13, 2023


Trending
  • 1
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • People
    MIT Launches Working Group On Generative AI And The Work Of The Future
    • March 31, 2024
  • 2
    • Lah!
    Singapore And The US Renew Memorandum Of Understanding
    • September 24, 2019
  • 3
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    EDDC And NTU Develop Novel Drug Candidates To Combat Deadly, Ancient Disease
    • August 27, 2021
  • 4
    • Lah!
    Changi Airport Begins Terminal 2 Expansion Works To Increase Capacity And Enhance Passenger Experience
    • January 17, 2020
  • 5
    • Cities
    7 Small Steps You Can Do To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
    • July 4, 2019
  • dotlah-singapore-kharl-anthony-paica-Btf-M-Hu8Xw-unsplash 6
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cities
    • Technology
    These 4 cities are making innovative use of generative AI
    • May 16, 2024
  • 7
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    SUTD And Ecole 42 Collaborate To Set-Up First Tuition-Free, No Instructor Programme In Singapore
    • November 27, 2021
  • 8
    • Science
    • Technology
    NUS Researchers Develop New Microsensor Implants For 24/7 Health Monitoring
    • December 27, 2019
  • 9
    • Lah!
    SGX Prices Its Debut US$250 Million 1.234% Notes
    • September 3, 2021
  • 10
    • Technology
    For SMEs That Have Gone Digital, The New Challenge Is To Be Deeply Digital
    • March 13, 2021
  • 11
    • Cities
    Raising The Bar For Smart Cities In Singapore
    • February 26, 2017
  • 12
    • Lah!
    Little India Goes Digital To Enhance Customer Experiences And Benefit Businesses
    • October 8, 2019
Trending
  • 1
    Why climate summits fail – and three ways to save them
    • October 21, 2025
  • Bluetooth speakers 2
    Best Bluetooth Speakers Under $200 (2025 Edition)
    • October 16, 2025
  • 3
    Apple Vision Pro upgraded with the powerful M5 chip and comfortable Dual Knit Band
    • October 15, 2025
  • 4
    Apple unveils new 14‑inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5 chip, delivering the next big leap in AI for the Mac
    • October 15, 2025
  • 5
    Apple introduces the powerful new iPad Pro with the M5 chip
    • October 15, 2025
  • 6
    Singapore’s national identity excludes those who don’t look like a ‘regular family’
    • October 9, 2025
  • Smart Watch 7
    Best Smartwatches, Your Gateway to Health Monitoring and Everyday Use
    • October 5, 2025
  • Cooking pots and pans 8
    Best Pots and Pans 2025: All-Season, All-Purpose Picks for Every Kitchen
    • September 23, 2025
  • 9
    Politicians love comparing NZ’s economy to Singapore or Ireland – but it’s simplistic and misleading
    • September 21, 2025
  • Kitchen Knives - Best All-Around Picks in 2025 10
    Kitchen Knives : The Surgeons of Cooking – Best All-Around Picks in 2025
    • September 15, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.