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English: A Gram-negative bacterial flagellum. A flagellum (plural: flagella) is a long, slender projection from the cell body, whose function is to propel a unicellular or small multicellular organism. The depicted type of flagellum is found in bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, and rotates like a propeller when the bacterium swims.
In some swarming bacteria, the flagellum can also function as a sensory organelle, being sensitive to wetness outside the cell. [6] Across the three domains of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota, the flagellum has a different structure, protein composition, and mechanism of propulsion but shares the same function of providing motility.
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Flagella are whip-like structures protruding from the bacterial cell wall and are responsible for bacterial motility (movement). The arrangement of flagella about the bacterial cell is unique to the species observed. Common forms include: Monotrichous – Single flagellum; Lophotrichous – A tuft of flagella found at one of the cell poles
The direction of rotation of the flagella in bacteria comes from the occupancy of the proton channels along the perimeter of the flagellar motor. [25] The bacterial flagellum is a protein-nanomachine that converts electrochemical energy in the form of a gradient of H+ or Na+ ions into mechanical work.
Flagellins are a family of proteins present in flagellated bacteria [1] which arrange themselves in a hollow cylinder to form the filament in a bacterial flagellum. Flagellin has a mass on average of about 40,000 daltons. [2] [3] Flagellins are the principal component of bacterial flagella that have a crucial role in bacterial motility.
The normal function of this flagellum is locomotion, but the attachment occurs to allow feeding currents to be created. [4] During feeding, the shorter of the two flagella, which usually has mastigonemes attached, is used in a sweeping motion to move bacteria towards the circumbuccal lappets, which lie just below the cell membrane. The ...
Movement of the flagellum draws water through the collar, and bacteria and detritus are captured by the microvilli and ingested. [12] Water currents generated by the flagellum also push free-swimming cells along, as in animal sperm. In contrast, most other flagellates are pulled by their flagella. [citation needed]