How does cell shape influence cell function?

The shape of cells does not only impact intracellular signaling, but also regulates how cells respond to signals from their surroundings. For example, the way a cell is shaped affects how it interprets chemical signals such as growth factors and cytokines. Neurons are long and star-like branched in shape, since they function to transmit signals throughout the body. Multiple longer neurons increase the rate of transmission in comparison to a chain of many shorter neurons. Meanwhile, red blood cells are shaped like biconcave discs, optimizing their ability to carry oxygen efficiently while also allowing them to travel through narrow blood vessels. Skeletal muscle cells are structured as bundles of elongated fibers. Within each muscle cell, there are various myofibrils, which are thin strands composed of actin and myosin molecules responsible for muscle contraction. The elongated shape enables the contraction proteins to arrange in an overlapping manner, facilitating muscle movement. The placement of nuclei and different organelles near the cell’s perimeters creates room for the organized arrangement of proteins within these cells.