Cytoskeleton (Part 2)

Question 1

Intermediate Filaments

Answer 1

A fiber of the cytoskeleton named for their diameter (“intermediate thickness”)

–> Thicker than microfilaments but thinner than microtubules

Question 2

Intermediate Filaments Composition

Answer 2

Made up of fibrous protein, supercoiled into a larger unit

(Fibrous protein is from Keratin protein)
–> Looks kind of like a rope with each fibrous protein being a thread

–> # of fibrous protein subunits can vary

Question 3

Intermediate Filaments Functions (3)

Answer 3

Maintenance rather than movement functions –> More STATIC (tends to restrict movement

1) Maintain cell shape (resist tension)

2) Anchoring (anchors nucleus and other organelles)

3) Forms the nuclear lamina (maintains shape of nucleus)

Question 4

IFs build the _____ of a cell

Answer 4

The permanent framework of the cell

–> Even after cell dies, the IF framework persists