Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.547, 164-172, 2011
Liquid Crystal in Lung Development and Chicken Embryogenesis
Organogenesis has been given increasing attention in the fields of biomedical and bioengineering. However, the mechanism for a succession process as complex as embryogenesis remains largely unknown. Based on our previous discoveries, liquid crystal may play a crucial role in organogenesis. Here, our results demonstrated that LC droplets were distributed on the pleural area, the bronchus and bronchiole in the developing lung. The lung liquid crystal droplets are capable of phase transitions between liquid crystal, crystal, and isotropic phases which are dependent on the rate of temperature change as previously reported in liver, kidney and other major tissues of the embryo.