Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA.
Curr Top Dev Biol. 2011;95:1-31. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-385065-2.00001-3.
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.
真核细胞的纤毛和鞭毛是复杂的丝状细胞器，它们快速波动并产生对抗周围液体的推进力。它们在高等生物（包括人类）的生命周期中提供了许多重要的功能。鞭毛推动精子到受精部位，纤毛将卵子通过输卵管移动到子宫，并在发育中的胚胎的左右不对称中发挥作用，并有助于正常的大脑形态。几何离合器假说（Geometric clutch hypothesis）是一种关于纤毛和鞭毛的重复弯曲如何产生的机械解释。本章回顾了导致几何离合器假说发展的事件，探讨了该假说与轴丝特性的概念框架，并考虑了在真正的纤毛和鞭毛中存在这种机制的实验支持。
