Chapters authored
Mirror Symmetry of Life
Functioning in the Earth gravity field imposes on living organisms a necessity to read directions. The characteristic feature of their bodies, regardless unicellular or multicellular, is axial symmetry. The development of body plan orchestrated by spatiotemporal changes in gene expression patterns is based on formation of the vertical and radial axes. Especially for immobile plants, anchored to the substrate, vertical axis is primary and most important. But also in animals the primary is the axis, which defines the anterior and posterior pole of the embryo. There are many little known chiral processes and structures that are left- or right oriented with respect to this axis. Recent developments indicate the role of intrinsic cell chirality that determines the direction of developmental chiral processes in living organisms. The still enigmatic events in cambia of trees and handedness of phyllotaxis as well as plant living crystals are in focus of the chapter.
Part of the book: Current Topics in Chirality