A new shape called the scutoid has been discovered in our cells | Innovation

By Alison George

Say hello to the scutoid, a brand new shape that has been discovered in our cells. This addition to geometry finally explains how nature packs cells efficiently into three-dimensional structures.

All animals are formed from tissues that bend into complex shapes. The building blocks of these structures are epithelial cells, which pack tightly together to form the lining of blood vessels and organs.

It had been assumed that these cells adopted prism- or pyramid-like shapes to form these structures, but no one was sure as only thin cross-sections …