Cytoskeleton

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to the cytoskeleton, including its structures, functions, and associated proteins involved in cellular movement and muscle contraction.

Microtubules

Cylindrical structures that play key roles in maintaining cell shape, cell motility, and intracellular transport.

Actin Filaments

Thin protein filaments involved in muscle contraction, cell shape maintenance, and motility.

Intermediate Filaments

Stable structures that provide mechanical support and help maintain the shape of cells.

Motor Molecules

Proteins that convert chemical energy into mechanical work, facilitating movement along cytoskeletal elements.

Dynamic Instability

The rapid and reversible disassembly and reassembly of microtubules.

Treadmilling

A process where subunits add to one end of a polymer while removing from the other end, maintaining a constant length.

ATPase

An enzyme that hydrolyzes ATP, releasing energy used for muscle contraction and other cellular processes.

Myosin

A family of motor proteins that interact with actin filaments to facilitate muscle contraction.

Kinesin

A motor protein that moves along microtubules toward the plus end, transporting cellular cargo.

Dynein

A motor protein that moves along microtubules toward the minus end, playing a role in vesicular trafficking.

Power Stroke

The action of myosin pulling actin filaments during muscle contraction.

Ca2+ (Calcium Ion)

An important signaling molecule that triggers muscle contraction by exposing binding sites on actin.

Troponin

A regulatory protein that binds calcium ions and changes conformation to uncover myosin-binding sites on actin.

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

A specialized endoplasmic reticulum in muscle cells that stores calcium ions; involved in signaling for muscle contraction.

Actin-Myosin Interaction

The binding and interaction of actin and myosin that leads to muscle contraction.

Mechanics of Muscle Contraction

The process of shortening muscle fibers through the sliding of actin and myosin filaments.