Stresses in Extracellular Matrices and Mechanochemical Transduction

Before it is possible to analyze how physical forces affect signaling behavior in different types of tissue, it is first important to analyze what external and internal forces act in each tissue. 

Other examples of tissues exhibiting active and passive tension include cornea, cardiovascular tissue, and cartilage. When a corneal transplant is trephined from a cadaver eye, the corneal material to be transplanted shrinks from about 8.5 mm in diameter to about 8.0 mm as a result of unloading of the passive and active tensions that exist. In the cardiovascular system passive and active stresses along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the vessel wall provide in situ strains that are as high as 50% in the carotid artery. Thus the elastic arteries contract when they are removed from the cardiovascular system. 

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