Overview
A new study, led by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), indicates that living matter does not adhere to previously understood physical principles of symmetry. This research specifically focuses on how cellular flows form and subsequently break down collective patterns. The findings, published in Nature Physics, challenge established principles within liquid-crystal physics.
Research Context
The study addresses the motion of living matter, distinguishing its observed behavior from classical physical models. Specifically, it investigates how collective patterns in cellular flows manifest and dissipate. The established framework challenged by this research is conventional liquid-crystal physics, which presumably describes symmetry principles in such systems.
Findings
The research observed that both single-celled bacteria and human respiratory cells, when in motion, spontaneously break mirror symmetry. This symmetry breaking manifests as these cells moving in paths characterized as curved and irreversible spirals. This observed behavior suggests that living matter violates physical principles of symmetry that were previously understood to govern such systems, particularly in the context of cellular flows and their collective pattern formation and breakdown.
Why This Matters
The study provides an observation that living matter, as exemplified by moving single-celled bacteria and human respiratory cells, does not conform to previously known physical principles of symmetry. By demonstrating that these biological systems spontaneously break mirror symmetry through curved, irreversible spiral paths, the research challenges conventional liquid-crystal physics. This indicates a deviation from expected physical behaviors in the realm of cellular dynamics and collective patterns.