cytoskeleton
Sign in to savethumb|right|300px|The cytoskeleton consists of (a) microtubules, (b) microfilaments, and (c) intermediate filaments.
AI overview
The cytoskeleton is a network of protein structures inside cells made up of microtubules, microfilaments, and intermediate filaments that gives cells their shape and organization. It matters because these structures help cells maintain their form and enable internal movement and transport within the cell.
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Article
20 sectionsContents
- History
- Eukaryotic cytoskeleton
- Microfilaments
- Intermediate filaments
- Microtubules
- Comparison
- Septins
- Spectrin
- Yeast cytoskeleton
- Prokaryotic cytoskeleton
- FtsZ
- MreB and ParM
- Crescentin
- The cytoskeleton and cell mechanics
- Long-range order
- Common features and differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes
- Cytoplasmic streaming
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|right|300px|The cytoskeleton consists of (a) microtubules, (b) microfilaments, and (c) intermediate filaments.
The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic network of interlinking protein filaments present in the cytoplasm of all cells, including those of bacteria and archaea. In eukaryotes, it extends from the cell nucleus to the cell membrane and is composed of similar proteins in the various organisms. It is composed of three main components: microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules, and these are all capable of rapid growth and/or disassembly depending on the cell's requirements.