Final answer:
Microtubules are composed of the nucleotide-binding GTP protein and the β-tubulin protein. γ-Tubulin rings are important for microtubule nucleation and are found in the centrosome. Microtubules play important roles in cell shape, transportation, and motility.
Step-by-step explanation:
Microtubules are composed of the nucleotide-binding GTP protein and the β-tubulin protein. Tubulin dimers are stacked together into protofilaments; thirteen parallel protofilaments form the tubelike structure of a microtubule. γ-Tubulin rings are important for microtubule nucleation and are found in the centrosome, which is usually found near the cell's nucleus in cells that are not undergoing mitosis. A microtubule that is quickly growing will have a GTP cap that helps prevent the loss of subunits from its growing end. Stable microtubules are used in cilia and flagella; these microtubules are nucleated from a basal body and involve a "nine plus two" array of microtubules. The motor protein dynein generates the bending motion in cilia; the lack of this protein can cause Kartagener's syndrome in humans.