When a wound on the skin creates a gap, the epithelial cells of the skin, surrounding the wound, move in a concerted fashion to close this gap. The boundaries of these gaps can have different curvatures; they could either be convex or concave. Interestingly, the cells situated on the convex-shaped surfaces form large membranous outgrowths and crawl towards the empty space; while on a concave surface, the layer of cells contracts together, tugging at the margins of the wound and gradually closing the gap.
Cells mount distinct responses to differently shaped wounds in tissue, study finds
