Final answer:
The spindle apparatus consists of microtubules, which include kinetochore and non-kinetochore microtubules, essential for eukaryotic cell division. These microtubules are made of alpha and beta-tubulin polymers forming hollow cylinders originating from the centrosome or MTOC.
Step-by-step explanation:
Spindle Apparatus and its Cytoskeletal Structures
The spindle apparatus is a critical structure for cell division in eukaryotic cells and is composed of cytoskeletal structures known as microtubules. There are two main kinds of microtubules involved in the spindle apparatus: kinetochore microtubules and non-kinetochore microtubules.
Kinetochore microtubules attach to the kinetochore, the protein structure on the chromosomes' centromeres, facilitating the movement of chromosomes during cell division. Meanwhile, non-kinetochore microtubules aid in the elongation of the cell. The microtubules are made up of polymers of alpha and beta-tubulin which form hollow cylinder structures that originate from an area called the centrosome in animal cells, or the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in plant cells.
Microtubules play several essential roles within the cell, such as maintaining cell shape, enabling organelle movement, and composing parts of cilia and flagella. They are also involved in processes such as the formation of spindle fibers which emerge during mitosis to assist in the separation of chromatids.