blebbing
n.— «Here, we show that Dictyostelium cells moving in a physiological milieu continuously produce “blebs” at their leading edges, and demonstrate that focal blebbing contributes greatly to their locomotion. Blebs are well-characterized spherical hyaline protrusions that occur when a patch of cell membrane detaches from its supporting cortex. Their formation requires the activity of myosin II, and their physiological contribution to cell motility has not been fully appreciated. We find that pseudopodia extension, cell body retraction and overall cell displacement are reduced under conditions that prevent blebbing, including high osmolarity and blebbistatin, and in myosin-II-null cells.» —“ Reports outline cell science research from Imperial College, Department of Biological Sciences” Life Science Weekly Nov. 7, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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