Figure 3.

Forces acting on ciliated cells in an epithelial tube because of fluid flow and internal pressure. Pressure inside the tube creates compression forces acting across the wall of the tube and tension forces acting within the plane of the epithelium. Either of these can, in principle, be sensed and used to modulate ciliogenesis. Fluid flow also creates shear forces acting on the cilia. The degree to which these three types of forces play a role in regulating ciliogenesis in developing tissues is a major unanswered question.