Cytoskeleton
A network of protein fibres that gives a cell its shape, moves organelles and drives cell movement. The three types are microfilaments (actin), intermediate filaments and microtubules.
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Analogy
Scaffolding plus a set of railway tracks inside the cell.
In practice
Microtubules pull chromosomes apart during cell division. Actin lets white blood cells crawl toward an infection.
Practice
Flashcards
- Name the three cytoskeleton fibre types.Microfilaments (actin), intermediate filaments and microtubules.
Questions people ask
What do microtubules do besides give shape?
Microtubules act as tracks. Motor proteins walk along them carrying vesicles and organelles. During cell division they build the spindle that separates chromosomes. They also form the core of cilia and flagella, the structures that let some cells swim or sweep fluid.
Do prokaryotes have a cytoskeleton?
Yes, in a simpler form. Bacteria have proteins related to actin and tubulin that help set cell shape and organise division. They are not identical to eukaryotic fibres, but the similarity suggests these proteins appeared very early in evolution, long before complex cells existed.