Alt text description of the main lede illustration. In this case, it is a magic 8 ball on a researcher's desk, surrounded by mathematical objects and paraphernalia.
Title of Visual 
Explainer Article
A dek or subhed is a mini-headline that appears below the main headline, providing more context or a brief summary of the article's content.
By Mark Belan
•
Published January 1, 2026

T

hese opening paragraphs introduce the topic at a very high level. They give the reader a sense of the problem, why it matters, and the general shape of what will follow. They should be as limited as possible and contain none of the visual weight or interactive elements of the full site.

The intro also establishes tone, sets expectations for the pace of the explainer, and gives a sense of how information will be layered. Its purpose is simply to orient the reader and hook curiosity.

Basically: these paragraphs are the “on-ramp”: a gentle preface that prepares the reader for the body sections, which carry the detailed explanations and the visual storytelling.

Cells react to forces because they are moldable. This property is controlled by an intricate network of proteins that forms the cell’s structure, called a cytoskeleton.

The cytoskeleton consists of three main parts: microtubules, intermediate filaments, and actin filaments. Part of CP’s work looks at how these fibres make forces and how they interact with them.

Actin is a filamentous protein that polymerizes (builds) in one direction. When it polymerizes in the direction of a cell’s membrane, it pushes the cell’s edge outwards.

This is an example of extension, one of two principal forces generated by actin.

The other force - contraction - is more complicated as it involves an additional protein called myosin.

Myosin has two ‘hands’ that grab onto strands of actin. When myosin takes up chemical energy, it physically pulls on the strands of actin, drawing them together.

Actin and myosin make up a complex network of proteins called actomyosin. Their partnership forms an elaborate web that connects to the cell’s edges via specialized molecules.

When many actin filaments experience coordinated pulling by myosin, they can generate sizable amounts of contractile force that pull on the cell’s membrane, making it smaller.

Actomyosin and other cell components move at various rates and locations in a cell, creating flows that can control where forces are applied within the cell.

The dynamics of cellular flows can also determine how forces are applied, such as in pulses/waves (i) or just evenly (ii).

These dynamics create more options for actin and other filaments to alter cell shape.

This final paragraph wraps up the topic in a very concise way. It should be as limited as possible, containing none of the visual or interactive elements of the full site, and exist purely to give a sense of closure.

Its purpose is to reinforce the main idea, remind the reader why it matters, and gently signal that the explainer has ended. It does not introduce new information or extend the visual narrative. It can include an end mark, even a custom Quanta bug end mark if we are so inclined, though we will need to purchase another subscription tier for custom code. ⚛

Credits
Reporting by Mark Belan and [Quanta Writer/Editor], Graphics by Mark Belan

Sources
Insert publication or source names here. For example: Belan, M. (2023). The Power of Visual Explainers in Digital Communication. New York: Insight Media Press

Edited by
Samuel Velasco and Samir Patel

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