Final answer:
Microfilaments provide cellular structure and enable movements such as contraction and division, while microtubules help in maintaining cell shape, chromosome separation during cell division, and organelle transport.
Step-by-step explanation:
Microfilaments and microtubules are critical components of the cell's cytoskeleton, with a variety of important functions in cellular processes. Microfilaments, made up of actin, are involved in providing rigidity and shaping the cell, as well as enabling cellular movements such as contraction and cell division. On the other hand, microtubules, composed of tubulin, help the cell resist compression, act as pathways for vesicle transport, and are essential during cell division by pulling chromosomes apart to ensure each daughter cell receives the correct number of chromosomes.
Microfilaments assist in maintaining structures like microvilli, which are crucial for absorption in certain cells, and play a significant role in muscle cell contraction. Microtubules, which are larger than microfilaments, also form the structural basis of cilia and flagella, cellular appendages that aid in cell movement. Intermediate filaments, though not mentioned in the question, contribute to cell structure by anchoring organelles and strengthening the cell's mechanical resistance.