Mastigonemes

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Mastigonemes are lateral "hairs" found covering the flagella of heterokont and cryptophyte algae[1]. They are approximately 15 nm in diameter, and usually consist of a tubular shaft that itself terminates in smaller "hairs". It is believed that they assist in locomotion by increasing the surface area of a flagellum.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hoek, C. van den, Mann, D. G. and Jahns, H. M. (1995). Algae : An introduction to phycology, Cambridge University Press, UK.