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Cilia and flagella both have this structure at their core which is known as the axoneme. Each axoneme is composed of a circular arrangement of nine pairs of microtubules around a single pair in the centre. This is commonly called the 9 + 2 arrangement. Several other proteins are associated with the microtubules and either hold the axoneme together or control the sliding of the paired microtubules past each other. This sliding causes the bending movements of the cilla.

Structure of a cilium - digitally enhanced

guinea pig cochlea, showing outer hair cells.

Scanning electron micrograph of organ of Corti from a

Colour-enhanced view of rows of basal bodies. Each basal body is composed of nine, overlapping tripets of microtubules held together by other proteins. In the basal bodies to the lower left of the image, faint radial protein spokes can be seen connecting the microtubules to a central core. Basal bodies form the base of eucaryotic cilia and flagella. They are essentially structurally the same as centrioles. The diameter of each basal body is 200 nanometres.

Basal bodies in cross section

Light micrograph showing a transverse (cross) section of a cat cerebellum. The cerebellum gates its name from the latin for 'little brain' it is the smaller structure at the lower region of the brain and is mostly accosiated with movement and motor control. It is characterised by the multiple grooves on its surface, the large surface area is displayed clearly in this cross section.

Cat cerebellum transverse section

Bristletail

Light micrograph showing chick embryo early in development. At this stage of embryogenesis the body plan is being laid down and the neural tube can be observed as the long structure forming the head to tail axis. The small modular structures running down the neural tube are somites, which are regions of mesodermal tissue that will go on to form skin, skeletal muscle and the vertebrae of the embryo.

Chick embryo

Colour-enhanced image of a mitochondrion showing the internal membranes (cristae) and enzyme complexes.

Mitochondrion

A scanning electron micrograph of the inside of
a guinea pig inner ear showing the hearing organ,
or cochlea. Running along the spiral structure are
rows of sensory cells which respond to different
frequencies of sound. The whole organ is just a
few millimeters long. Biomedical Image Awards 1997.

Cochlea of the inner ear

Proximal convoluted tubule from the kidney.
Several cells surround the lumen of the tubule
which is lined with microvilli. All the cells are
packed with mitochondria and a nucleus (brown) is
visible within one of the cells. This a colour-
enhanced scanning electron micrograph of a freeze-
fractured sample.

Kidney - proximal convoluted tubule

Freeze fracture electron micrograph of a synapse
showing the pre-synaptic terminal (centre right)
filled with vesicles of neurotransmitter (blue)
making contact with the post-synaptic target cell
(centre left).

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Structure of a cilium - digitally enhanced

Scanning electron micrograph of organ of Corti from a

Basal bodies in cross section

Cat cerebellum transverse section

Bristletail

Chick embryo

Mitochondrion

Cochlea of the inner ear

Kidney - proximal convoluted tubule

Synapse showing neurotransmitter vesicles

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More filters

Active filters:

Structure of a cilium - digitally enhanced

Scanning electron micrograph of organ of Corti from a

Basal bodies in cross section

Cat cerebellum transverse section

Bristletail

Chick embryo

Mitochondrion

Cochlea of the inner ear

Kidney - proximal convoluted tubule

Synapse showing neurotransmitter vesicles

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome collection