Mastigonemes are lateral "hairs" that attach to protistan flagella. Flimsy hairs attach to the flagella of euglenid flagellates, while stiff hairs occur in stramenopile and cryptophyte protists. [1] Stramenopile hairs are approximately 15 nm in diameter, and usually consist of flexible basal part that inserts into the cell membrane, a tubular shaft that itself terminates in smaller "hairs". They reverse the thrust caused when a flagellum beats. The consequence is that the cell is drawn into the water and particles of food are drawn to the surface of heterotrophic species.
Typology of flagella with hairs: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Observations of mastigonemes using light microscopy dates from the nineteenth century. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] Considered artifacts by some, their existence would be confirmed with electron microscopy. [12] [13]
Mastigonemes are lateral "hairs" that attach to protistan flagella. Flimsy hairs attach to the flagella of euglenid flagellates, while stiff hairs occur in stramenopile and cryptophyte protists. [1] Stramenopile hairs are approximately 15 nm in diameter, and usually consist of flexible basal part that inserts into the cell membrane, a tubular shaft that itself terminates in smaller "hairs". They reverse the thrust caused when a flagellum beats. The consequence is that the cell is drawn into the water and particles of food are drawn to the surface of heterotrophic species.
Typology of flagella with hairs: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Observations of mastigonemes using light microscopy dates from the nineteenth century. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] Considered artifacts by some, their existence would be confirmed with electron microscopy. [12] [13]