Microtubules are
protein structures found within
cells. They are generally long and form a structural network (the
cytoskeleton) within the cell's
cytoplasm, but in addition to structural support microtubules are used in many other processes as well. They form a substrate on which other cellular chemicals can interact, they are used in intracellular transport, and are involved in cell motility. The assembly and disassembly of microtubules into their subcomponent
tubulin[?] is one way in which cells can change their shape. A notable structure involving microtubules is the
mitotic spindle used by
eukaryotic cells to segregate their chromosomes correctly during cell division. Microtubules are also responsible for the
flagella of
eukaryotic cells (
prokaryote flagella are entirely different).
Roger Penrose has proposed that the hollow cores of microtubules inside neurons form an environment capable of supporting quantum-scale information processing and conscious awareness. There is no evidence to support this proposition at this time, and it is not widely accepted.
See also: Taxol
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