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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Biophysical Characterization of Flagellar Motor Functions
Published on: January 18, 2017
A model for flagellar motility
1Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, USA.
Abstract:
Experimental investigation has provided a wealth of structural, biochemical, and physiological information regarding the motile mechanism of eukaryotic flagella/cilia. This chapter surveys the available literature, selectively focusing on three major objectives. First, it attempts to identify those conserved structural components essential to providing motile function in eukaryotic axonemes. Second, it examines the relationship between these structural elements to determine the interactions that are vital to the mechanism of flagellar/ciliary beating. Third, the vital principles of these interactions are incorporated into a tractable theoretical model, referred to as the Geometric Clutch, and this hypothetical scheme is examined to assess its compatibility with experimental observations.
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