Intestinal Crypt Stem Cells – A Clonal Conveyor Belt

This animation, created for Hans Clevers’ lab, shows how the entire surface of the intestine is populated via a “clonal conveyor belt” mechanism. Daughter cells born from stem cells located at the base of the crypts travel up and differentiate, thereby pushing existing cells up towards the villus tip (the oldest cells are jetisoned via apoptosis at the villus tip). Adenoma formation is also shown.

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