Modelling of morphological development of tooth using simple regulatory network: mechanical model of mesenchyme

A model of morphological development of living tissues could be split into three mutually entangled parts: a mechanical model of tissues, diffusion of signaling molecules, and a gene regulatory network. This paper propose a cellular automaton mechanical model of mesenchyme including its growth caused by proliferation of cells. The main attention is focussed to the mechanical interaction of mesenchyme and epithelium, to mesenchymal growth, and to the influence of growth rate along with epithelial forces on the final shape of the tissues. Future development of the model is briefly outlined.