Key protein in cilia assembly identified
Friday, August 21, 2015 - 08:30
in Biology & Nature
Many cells in our bodies present a small structure that looks like, and as a matter of fact works as an antenna, conveying to the cell information on the extracellular environment. They are called cilia (plural) or cilium (singular). Ciliated cells play essential functions in the human body. Thus, for instance, the monitoring of fluid flow in the kidney, the detection of hormones in the brain, or the senses of hearing and smell depend on specialized neurons equipped with chemo-sensory or mechano-sensory cilia. New research contributes to understanding how cilia are assembled.