Understanding the coordination of the forces generated in embryos by two processes, convergent extension and convergent thickening, is key to understanding how a hollow sphere of cells develops into an elongated embryo.
Keywords: biomechanics; blastopore closure; convergent extension; convergent thickening; developmental biology; force; gastrulation; molecular biophysics; stem cells; structural biology; xenopus.
© 2018, Weng et al.