The chambers of a nautilus shell are an example of a soft cell in nature M.E. Parker / Alamy
A new class of mathematical shapes called soft cells can be used to describe how a remarkable variety of patterns in living organisms – such as muscle cells and nautilus shells – form and grow.
Mathematicians have long studied how tiles fit together and cover surfaces, but they have largely focused on simple shapes that fit together without gaps, such as squares and triangles, because these are easier to work with.
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