Cilia facilitate movement of fluids and particles, pseudopods aid in locomotion and feeding, and flagella propel cells through fluids. These structures play a vital role in various cellular processes and contribute to the overall survival and function of cells.
What are these functions?
Cilia are hair-like projections that extend from the cell surface and beat in a coordinated manner, creating a wave-like motion. This motion helps to move fluids and particles along the cell surface. Cilia are found in various tissues throughout the body, including the respiratory tract, where they help to clear mucus and debris, and the fallopian tubes, where they assist in moving the egg towards the uterus.
Pseudopods are temporary extensions of the cytoplasm that protrude from the cell surface. They are used for locomotion and engulfing food particles. Pseudopods extend and retract, allowing the cell to crawl or move through its environment. They are particularly common in single-celled organisms, such as amoebas, which use them to capture prey and move around.
Flagella are long, whip-like structures that propel cells through fluids. They are driven by a complex internal machinery that generates a waving motion. Flagella are found in both single-celled organisms and specialized cells in multicellular organisms. For instance, sperm cells have a single flagellum that allows them to swim towards the egg, while some protists, such as Euglena, have multiple flagella for locomotion.
Complete question:
Cells have different external structures, such as cilia, pseudopods, and flagella. What function do these structures perform?