FilamentA filament, in a biological sense, is a fine, threadlike structure. It's made up of a long chain of proteins and can take the form of hair, muscle, or flagella, among other things. Filament may also refer to a long chain of cells attached end to end in a line.
Filaments, like stamens in plants, are critical for transporting nutrients, sex cells, and other complex molecules and structures from one place to another in the organism.
Another type of filament is the flagellum, a whiplike organelle that unicellular and some multicellular organisms use to move around. These structures include the helical filaments in bacteria that rotate like the screws on a ship; the similar filaments on Archaeal flagella; and the eukaryote flagella that lash back and forth. Very short flagella of the last sort may also be called cilia.
No matter what the structure of the filament, it will perform one of only a few functions: it provides motility for the cell, it transports food and waste products through the cell, and it provides a way for the cell to communicate outside and inside itself. Filaments like hair have the evolutionary value of providing warmth and protection from ultraviolet sunlight. And cells joined together in filaments provide structure for specialized organs like muscle tissue or nerve tissue.
Web Resources On Filament
Intermediate Filament Proteins
Evolution of the Bacterial Flagella
Book Resources On FilamentCellular and Molecular Biology of Intermediate Filaments by Goldman & Steinert (Editors)
Intermediate Filament Structure by Parry & Steinert
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