The complex three-dimensional organization of epithelial tissues

ABSTRACT Understanding the cellular organization of tissues is key to developmental biology. In order deal with this complex problem, researchers have taken advantage reductionist approaches reveal fundamental morphogenetic mechanisms and quantitative laws. For epithelia, their two-dimensional representation as polygonal tessellations has proved successful for understanding tissue organization. Yet, epithelial bend fold shape organs in three dimensions. context, cells are too often simplified prismatic blocks a limited plasticity. However, there increasing evidence that realistic approach, even from perspective, must include apico-basal intercalations (i.e. scutoidal cell shapes) explaining convincingly. Here, we present an historical perspective about problem. Specifically, analyze past recent breakthroughs, discuss how why simplified, but realistic, silico models require features address events.