Question

During the sliding process in microtubules in cilia and flagella, the stalks of an axonemal dynein attach to, produce force on, and detach from a(n) ________ in a cyclic manner.

A) A tubule
B) B tubule
C) radial spoke
D) interdoublet nexin connections
E) central pair

Answer 1

The stalks of an axonemal dynein cyclically attach to, produce force on, and detach from a B tubule during the sliding process in microtubules of cilia and flagella, which are structured in a '9 + 2 array'.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the sliding process in microtubules in cilia and flagella, the stalks of an axonemal dynein attach to, produce force on, and detach from a(n) B tubule in a cyclic manner. Cilia and flagella have a common structural arrangement called the '9 + 2 array' where each cilium or flagellum is comprised of nine outer microtubule doublets surrounding two central microtubules. The axonemal dynein, a motor protein, is responsible for the bending motion of cilia and flagella as it 'walks' along one microtubule and tugs the adjacent one, causing the microtubules to slide past one another.