4.5 The Cytoskeleton

Question 1

cytoskeleton

Answer 1

protein fiber network that collectively
maintains the cell’s shape, secures some organelles in specific positions, allows cytoplasm and vesicles to move
within the cell, and enables unicellular organisms to move independently

Question 2

microfilaments

Answer 2

the narrowest type of protein fiber in the cytoskeleton

Question 3

Intermediate filaments

Answer 3

no role in cell movement. Their function is purely structural.

Question 4

microtubules

Answer 4

the cytoskeleton system’s widest element; it helps the cell resist compression, provides a track along
which vesicles move through the cell, pulls replicated chromosomes to opposite ends of a dividing cell, and is
the structural element of centrioles, flagella, and cilia

Question 5

flagella

Answer 5

long, hair-like structures that extend from the plasma membrane and enable an entire cell to move