Sunshine on the Cytoskeleton

This blazing, writhing orb is the cytoskeleton of a cell. Cells are constantly in flux. The motion in this video is caused by a structural protein called actin, which organizes into rope-like arrangements that help a cell hold its shape and, in some cases, move.

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Sunshine on the Cytoskeleton

This blazing, writhing orb is the cytoskeleton of a cell. Cells are constantly in flux. The motion in this video is caused by a structural protein called actin, which organizes into rope-like arrangements that help a cell hold its shape and, in some cases, move.

What am I looking at?

The cell shown here is called a HeLa cell. This video shows the cytoskeleton – the part of a cell that gives it its shape and structure. You can see cellular protrusions growing and retracting as actin (labeled in orange) is added and subtracted.

Biology in the background

Actin proteins group together to form a network of thin filaments that spread throughout a cell. This actin network is dynamic, meaning that the filaments can either grow or shrink to fit the structural or movement requirements of the cell. The protrusions you see here, growing from and retracting into the cell surface, are filled with actin and can be used to help the cell explore the environment around it and, in some cases, to move around.

An actin filament is approximately 7 nanometers thick, or roughly 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Technique

This image was created using fluorescence microscopy.

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Contributor(s)

Andy Moore, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus