• Question: Of which substance are microtubules made? In which structures and cellular processes do microtubules participate?

    Asked by megnog to Chris, Kay, Kerstin, Lorna, Liv on 16 Mar 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Kay Penicud

      Kay Penicud answered on 16 Mar 2010:

      A protein called actin makes up a lot of microtubule filaments.

      They are involved in keeping the shape of your cell (a little like scaffolding) in moving stuff around the cell (like railway tracks) and in moving the cells when they need to migrate (think roller blades)

    • Photo: Kerstin Zechner

      Kerstin Zechner answered on 16 Mar 2010:

      Microtubules are made of protein and are part of the cytoskeleton, which basically is the scaffolding of the cell. They also help shuttle proteins across the cell. One of their many roles is in cell division. They allow the chromosomes to travel to different sides of the cell so it can divide into two halves containing equal numbers of chromosomes, which form two new cells.

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