Living Cells Behave Like Fluid-Filled Sponges, University College London Study

Animal cells behave like fluid-filled sponges in response to being mechanically deformed according to new research published today in Nature Materials. Scientists from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) at UCL have shown that animal cells behave according to the theory of 'poroelasticity' when mechanically stimulated in a way similar to that experienced in organs within the body. The results indicate that the rate of cell deformation in response to mechanical stress is limited by how quickly water can redistribute within the cell interior.