Name: Bricks of Body - Cell
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 4 min 20 s
Description: Learn about the anatomy of cells, their different parts, and their functions in keeping the body functioning. Have fun watching and learning.

Question

Explain the basic structure of flagella with labelled diagram.

Accepted Answer

Bacteria are unicellular prokaryotic organisms that can be motile or non-motile. The motile bacteria move through the thread-like helical appendages called flagella that extend from the bacterial cell wall. The flagella help in movement or locomotion of bacteria. The classification of bacteria is done based on the number and arrangement of flagella.

The basic structure of flagella:

Each flagellum is about 1-7 micrometre long, which is covered by a protein coat. A flagellum consists of the following three parts, which are described below.

(i) Filament: It is the longest portion of a flagellum that arise from the cell surface and extends to outside. The filament is made up of a protein called flagellin.

(ii) Hook: It is a short and highly curved structure that connects the basal body to the filament. It is made up of protein subunits.

(iii) Basal body: It is rod-shaped, formed of systems of rings, which is embedded in the cellular envelope of bacteria.

Explain the basic structure of flagella with labelled diagram.

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