a: Flagellum ~
b: holding a snake in your hand

What: "Also the prokaryote flagella are very different in structure from the eukaryotic flagella! Here's a good way to think about bacterial vs eukaryotic flagella. Imagine clamping a rope to a drill bit and turning the drill on. As the drill bit rotates the rope flops around as mechanical energy is transferred from the rotating drill bit. The rope itself is passive, only moving because it is getting energy from the drill bit. That is like the prokaryote flagellum. The eukaryotic flagellum is like holding a snake in your hand. The snake is moving on its own not because of mechanical energy from your hand. The snake is active."

Useful?
Writer: Paul Decelles
LCC:
Where:
Date: Oct 29 2013 3:44 PM


No critique for this page.
Feel free to be the first


Please review the linked page for context.
If you can think of something better than this,
please add it to the database

Name:
required
Contact:
(email or url) optional
Topic:
Comment:

This is an anti-spam device. Are you Human?

If so, please click the circle next to 'Yes' to submit your comment