Cytoskeleton and Cell Motility: Actin Filaments

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to actin filaments and cell motility.

Actin Filaments

Protein fibers that play a role in cell movement and structure.

Actin Binding Proteins

Proteins that regulate the availability and assembly of actin filaments.

Lamellipodia

Thin, flat protrusions of the cell membrane driven by actin polymerization.

Filopodia

Thin, stiff projections made of bundles of actin filaments.

Integrin

Membrane protein that attaches cells to the extracellular matrix.

Myosin

Motor proteins that interact with actin filaments to generate muscle contraction.

Cytokinesis

The process of cell division where the cytoplasm divides to form two daughter cells.

Rho Proteins

Monomeric G proteins that act as molecular switches in cell signaling.

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum

Specialized endoplasmic reticulum in muscle cells that stores calcium.

Troponin

A protein complex in muscle cells that binds calcium and regulates muscle contraction.

Tropomyosin

A protein that binds along actin filaments and controls the interaction with myosin.

Sliding Filament Mechanism

The process by which myosin filaments slide past actin filaments to cause muscle contraction.