Cilia And Flagella

Eukaryotic cells are present in organisms that contain cilia and flagella - organelles that function primarily for motility and also as a sensory reception. Both secondary cilia (motile) and flagella contain quite similar internal structures; while primary cilia (nonmotile) - found more commonly than secondary in common cells, have a deficiency of two singlet microtubules that together account for the cell’s lack of movement (Adams 2010). Mutation of cilia with such characteristics may lead to ciliary dysfunction, including polycystic kidney disease, which result due to the lack of polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 proteins, and also Bardet-Biedl syndrome, also from protein (BBS protein) deficiency.

The repetitiveness of the winding of both cilia and flagella provide adequate, constant motility for all types of cells (Lindermann & Lesich 2010, p. 519). These organelles are ‘cellular appendages composed of specialised microtubules’ encased in an extension of a plasma membrane (Linck 2009, p. 1). The core of microtubules has remained unaltered throughout evolution since its origins. Cilia and flagella elongate from a basal body, which itself contains nine microtubule triplets, surrounding a cartwheel that operate as a basis for the assembly of the core structure (Vincensini, Bliscnick & Bastin 2012, p. 109). This core structure (called axoneme) within motile cilia and flagella, consists the typical “9+2” arrangement where nine microtubule doublets are constructed as an outside ring and two microtubule singlets centred within the doublets (Linck 2009, p. 1). Alternatively, the “9+0” axoneme present in primary cilia do not have sets of dynein arms (Vincensini, Bliscnick & Bastin 2012, p. 109). According to Linck (2010, pg. 3), ‘basal bodi...

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...ells with inhibitors not only regain the solidarity of the actin cytoskeleton, but were also able to recuperate the expected length and number of cilia (Hernandez-Hernandez et al. 2013, p. 3859). Reinforcement of studies also demonstrate that patients suffering from Bardet-Biedl syndrome have shown signs of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes due to ciliary defects, which causes the deceasing of cells (Getchen 2005, p. 216).

Cilia and flagella are important organelles that function primarily for the cell’s movement. The basic construction of both cilium and flagellum produce force and motion through the cell’s environment using their distinct beating patterns (Linck 2009, p. 1). However, the mutation of these features may lead to ciliary dysfunction as the deficiency of specific proteins can produce PKD and BBS - causing obesity and other consequent diseases.