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Describe how cells are able to move or 'crawl.

User Bela Ban
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Final answer:

Cells move using structures like flagella and cilia or by cytoplasmic streaming. Flagella are whip-like and propel the cell, while multiple cilia beat in a coordinated manner. Amoeba and slime molds reshape their forms and flow their cytoplasm for motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

Cells have various mechanisms that allow them to move or 'crawl' through their environment. One common method is through the use of flagella and cilia. Flagella are long, hair-like structures that extend from the plasma membrane, enabling an entire cell to move. A cell may have one or a few flagella, and they achieve locomotion by rotational or whip-like movements.

On the other hand, cilia are shorter, more numerous, hair-like structures that coordinate together to facilitate movement or transport substances along the cell's outer surface. Another mechanism of movement in cells, particularly in amoeba and slime molds, is cytoplasmic streaming, where the organisms extend pseudopodia or reshape their form to push and pull on their boundary, thus allowing them to move through their surroundings or around food items. Other protists, like Euglena, utilize both flagellar movement and reshaping of their form for motion.

User Bob Jansen
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