Slender, cylindrical filaments found in the cytoskeleton of plant and animal cells. They are composed of the protein tubulin.
Linear tubular structures of higher cells, formed from tubulin dimers; essential for cell division and vesicular transport processes.
Hollow, elongated tubular structure within a cell; serves a number of functions, including support of the cell and transfer of chemical messengers within and between cells.
An elongated (200 to 300 A), hollow or tubular structure present in the cell. Microtubules are important in helping certain cells maintain their rigidity, in converting chemical energy into work, and in providing a means of transporting substances in different directions within a cell. They increase in number during mitosis.