Final answer:
Dynamic instability is a feature of microtubules, not microfilaments. Microtubules can rapidly assemble and disassemble, which is essential for cell processes like mitosis. Microfilaments, made of actin, support cell movement and maintain cell shape.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of dynamic instability primarily applies to microtubules, which are one of the three main components of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells. Unlike microfilaments that are composed of actin and are important for cellular movement and tension resistance, microtubules are made of tubulin dimers and form hollow tubes that can rapidly assemble and disassemble. This property allows microtubules to undergo dynamic instability, wherein parts of a microtubule can grow while others shrink, facilitating various cellular processes such as mitosis, intracellular transport, and cellular morphology changes.
On the other hand, actin microfilaments can also undergo restructuring, but they do not display the same kind of dynamic instability characteristic of microtubules. Instead, their dynamic properties enable cell motility and shape changes through the interaction with motor proteins such as myosin.