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cytoskeleton

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
cy·to·skel·e·ton  (st-skl-tn)
n.
The internal framework of a cell, composed largely of actin filaments and microtubules.

cytoskeleton [ˈsaɪtəʊˌskɛlɪtən]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biochemistry) a network of fibrous proteins that governs the shape and movement of a biological cell

cytoskeleton  (st-skl-tn)
The internal framework of a cell, composed of a network of protein filaments and extending throughout the fluid of the cell (the cytosol). The cytoskeleton consists mainly of actin filaments and microtubules and plays an important role in cell movement, shape, growth, division, and differentiation, as well as in the movement of organelles within the cell. All eukaryotic cells have a cytoskeleton.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.cytoskeleton - a microscopic network of actin filaments and microtubules in the cytoplasm of many living cells that gives the cell shape and coherence
anatomical structure, bodily structure, body structure, complex body part, structure - a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing; "he has good bone structure"
cytol, cytoplasm - the protoplasm of a cell excluding the nucleus; is full of proteins that control cell metabolism


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Franck Polleux said that scientists have thought that the only way for a cell to morph and move is through the action of the cytoskeleton or the scaffold inside the cell, pushing membrane forward or sucking it in.
Finally, treatment of the cells with PLE prevented UV-induced morphological changes in human fibroblasts, namely disorganisation of F-actin-based cytoskeletal structures, coalescence of the tubulin cytoskeleton and mislocalization of adhesion molecules such as cadherins and integrins.
The cytoskeleton is a complex biological infrastructure that plays a fundamental role within every human cell.
 
 
 
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