flagellum
Sign in to saveA flagellum (; : flagella) (Latin for 'whip' or 'scourge') is a hair-like appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, from fungal spores (zoospores), and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many protists with flagella are known as flagellates.
AI overview
A flagellum is a whip-like appendage that sticks out from certain cells, including sperm cells, fungal spores, and various microorganisms, and it helps these cells move around. This structure is important because it enables otherwise stationary or slow-moving cells to swim and navigate through their environments.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Flagellum
- Anatomy.Image
- Flagellum base diagram-en.svg
- Anatomy.Caption
- Structure of bacterial flagellum
- Anatomy.Image2
- Chlamydomonas (10000x).jpg
- Anatomy.Caption2
- SEM image of flagellated eukaryote Chlamydomonas sp. (10000×)
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
25 sectionsContents
- Types
- Bacterial flagella
- Structure and composition
- Motor
- Assembly
- Evolution
- Flagella and the intelligent design debate
- Flagellar arrangements
- Bundling
- Molecular mechanism of rotational switching
- Eukaryotic flagella
- Terminology
- Internal structure
- Mechanism
- Flagella versus cilia
- Intraflagellar transport
- Evolution and occurrence
- Typology
- Archaeal flagella
- Fungal
- Additional images
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A flagellum (; : flagella) (Latin for 'whip' or 'scourge') is a hair-like appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, from fungal spores (zoospores), and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many protists with flagella are known as flagellates.
A microorganism may have from one to many flagella. A gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori, for example, uses its flagella to propel itself through the stomach to reach the mucous lining where it may colonise the epithelium and potentially cause gastritis, and ulcers – a risk factor for stomach cancer. In some swarming bacteria, the flagellum can also function as a sensory organelle, being sensitive to wetness outside the cell.