title: Experimental evidence for the geometric clutch hypothesis.
abstract: The cilia and flagella of eukaryotic cells are complex filamentous organelles that undulate rapidly and produce propulsive force against the fluids that surround the living cell. They provide a number of important functions in the life cycle of higher organisms including humans. A flagellum propels the spermatozoa to the site of fertilization and cilia move the egg through the oviduct to the uterus and have a role in left-right asymmetry in the developing embryo and contribute to normal brain morphology. The geometric clutch hypothesis is a mechanistic explanation of how the repetitive bending of cilia and flagella is generated. This chapter recounts the events leading to the development of the geometric clutch hypothesis, explores the conceptual framework of the hypothesis as it relates to properties of the axoneme, and considers the experimental support for the existence of such a mechanism in real cilia and flagella.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lindemann
mesh_terms: D054468:Axoneme / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology*; D004398:Dyneins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D004398:Dyneins