File:Cilium cartoon.jpg

Cilium cartoon

(plural, cilia)

Cilia are epithelial cell surface microtubule based specialisations.

Cilia are thin, tail-like projections extending approximately 5–10 micrometers outwards from the cell body. Cilia contain microtubules organised into a 9+2 arrangement.

There are two types of cilia, motile cilia and non-motile cilia.

1. Motile cilia (respiratory epithelia, trachea, uterine tube, ependymal cells) move and constantly beat in a single direction, resulting in movement of the overlying fluid.
2. Non-motile cilia lack dynein arms and are associated with sensory system epithelium (olfactory epithelium).

Respiratory Histology: Bronchiole | Alveolar Duct | Alveoli | EM Alveoli septum | Alveoli Elastin | Trachea 1 | Trachea 2 | labeled lung | unlabeled lung | Respiratory Bronchiole | Lung Reticular Fibres | Nasal Inferior Concha | Nasal Respiratory Epithelium | Olfactory Region overview | Olfactory Region Epithelium | Histology Stains

Links: Human nodal cilia SEM image

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eukaryotic_cilium_diagram_en.svg

Copyright

This work has been released into the public domain by its author, LadyofHats. This applies worldwide.