Cytoskeleton, Cells Bones!!

Things are not always what they seem to be... sometimes, in our lives, the paths chosen are put into question. Sometimes, learning something new, clarifies our vision; makes us question things we thought of as fitting ~ cells are more interesting to me this week than atoms.

It's along this diversion of topic that I came across cellular structure; as another path calling my name had me reading publications on this topic, greatly to my dismay ~ as if, no matter what I know I should do, I can't do it- the other option is far to enticing.

A Cytoskeleton is like the structure of a cell, like 'bones'. These 'bones' are not solid and give the cell mobility and malleability among other things. A big difference from the basic idea of a cell being an encasing (I always imagine gelly like) with innards of floating components that do stuff (yes, that is exactly how I thought of it prior to reading these past two weeks) I never thought about the fact that cells move (thinking more in terms of a flow of liquid pushing the cells through the body - which is a childlike comprehension of both cells and cell mobility) But, now upon learning that cells actually have an internal formed structure allowing for malleability, I'm flabbergasted.


It turns out that these inner structure components (in Eukaryote cells) come in three types; microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules.

Microfiliments are the thinest of the three, linear and flexible - allowing for strong resistance capabilities. They also enjoy an actoclampin-driven...

"Actoclampin is a generic term that applies to all actin filament end-tracking molecular motors, irrespectivveof whether they are driven actively by an ATP-activated mechanism or passively when the monomer concentation exceeds the (+)-end critical concentration (Dickinson & Purich, 2002, 2006, 2007; Dickinson, Caro & Purich, 2004)." Sourced from here

So, basically, without researching the entire weekend away; I summarize this as the Microfiliments having the capacity to transmit messages for reactions.. these messages either are in response to an outward stimulus or an internal informative direction. These Microfiliments are what enable the cell to 'crawl'.

Intermediate filaments are a little more complex to summarize; best I can tell they are the 'instruction' components and their lacking of polarity, protein base (yay proteins) and genetic implications lead me to this conclusion. Read more here

Microtubles are a structural component as well; they add mass while also partaking in processes such as growing and shrinking to create force and they are involved in molecular modifications. So, as a layman interpretation; they are involved in both structural support and movement as well as action within the whole cytoskeletal mechanism.

To sum up what would take many a post to explain; a cytoskeleton is akin to a skeletal, neurological and muscular components of a body. Wow, so much happening in so tiny an organic structure!

It is in this summarization that I take my call to end. It's moments in life when questions arise that I wonder -- what do I know, if nothing. What can I learn, if everything. And, who can I learn it from?


KAS