During the recovery stroke, the cilium bends near its base to:
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Correct answer: Minimize drag during its return
In the recovery stroke, the cilium folds back toward the cell surface. This reduction in profile minimizes drag, ensuring that the fluid displaced during the effective stroke is not pulled back in the opposite direction.
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More Cilia questions
- Cilia are distinct from microvilli because microvilli are composed of which cytoskeletal element?
- Nodal cilia, found in the embryonic 'node', are unique because they:
- What is the characteristic microtubule arrangement in the axoneme of a motile cilium?
- Which of the following proteins serves as the molecular motor that generates the sliding force between microtubule doublets in cilia?
- The basal body, which anchors the cilium to the apical cytoplasm, has a microtubule arrangement similar to which other organelle?
- Which of the following describes the 'effective stroke' of a motile cilium?