Abstract
New mathematical model reveals how the flagella of some single-celled algae generate a lasso-like beat pattern that propels the cell through water.
Highlights
Related research article Cicconofri G, Noselli G, DeSimone A. 2021
At the centre of most cilia and flagella is a structure called an axoneme, which consists of two central microtubules inside a circle formed of nine pairs of microtubules. Motor proteins, such as dynein, are able to bind to the microtubules and produce forces that cause the axoneme – and the cilium or flagellum itself – to bend
In eLife, Giancarlo Cicconofri, Giovanni Noselli and Antonio DeSimone – who are based at the Centre Internacional de Metodes Numerics a l’Enginyeria, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna – report how interactions between the axoneme and an unusual structure called the paraflagellar rod may be responsible (Cicconofri et al, 2021)
Summary
Related research article Cicconofri G, Noselli G, DeSimone A. 2021. The biomechanical role of extra-axonemal structures in shaping the flagellar beat of Euglena gracilis. eLife 10:e58610. doi: 10. 7554/eLife.58610. Many organisms – ranging from singlecell protists to humans – rely on microscopic hair-like structures called cilia and flagella to perform a wide range of roles. Flagella are typically larger than cilia, and many single-cell organisms rely on the whip-like beating motion of flagella to propel them through the water in which they live.
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