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Definition: Hairlike strucrures that extend from the surface of the cell, where they assist in movement and of other functions of the cell.
Cilium Diagram
Many cells contain a flagellum, such as the human sperm cell. The flagella is most often used to propell itself in movement, like a tail. There is usually only one falgellum on a cell whereas there are many cilias on a cell.
Flagellum Diagram
The cillium, because of its abundance in many numbers on the cells outer membrane, help it to move. An example is the cillia on protosists that often 'row' in the liquid they are in to propel forward.
Cilia and Flagella
Both Cilium and Flagellum have an internal sturcture of nine pairs of microtublules around two central tubules. A tubule is a straight hollow cylinder that also helps in the movement of a cell.
Cilia occur mostly on eukaryotic cells.
Cilia also perform other functions. For example, in the inner ear, the cillia help to detect sound.
The long tail like shape of a Flagellum allows it when it moves back and forth to propell the cell forward, like the tail of a dolphin.
The short cylindrical shape of a cilium allow many of them to move together in unison, like oars of a ship to propell the cell forward.
Cell
Flagella
Example of procaryotic cell with flagella and cilia.
