CAS NE 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Kinesin, Chromatin, Integrin
Document Summary
Cytoskeleton: gives a cell its shape and allows the cell to organize its internal components and move. Intricate network of protein filaments that extend throughout the cytoplasm to support all the volume of the cell. Organization: to organize intracellular content of molecules and membranes and organelles. Pic: 3 types of protein filaments that form the cytoskeleton (differ in composition, mechanical properties, and roles inside the cell) Intermediate filaments: ropelike fibers with a diameter of 10 nm. Ex: type of intermediate filament forms a meshwork called the nuclear lamina beneath the inner nuclear membrane. Give cells mechanical strength and distribute mechanical stresses in an epithelial tissue by spanning the cytoplasm from one cell-cell junction to another. Deform under stress but do not rupture. Microtubules: hollow cylinders made of the protein tubulin. Long, straight, and have one end attached to a single microtubule-organizing center called a centrosome. More rigid than actin filaments or intermediate filaments.