cytoskeleton

American  

[sahy-tuh-skel-i-tn] / ˌsaɪ təˈskɛl ɪ tn /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a shifting lattice arrangement of structural and contractile components distributed throughout the cell cytoplasm, composed of microtubules, microfilaments, and larger filaments, functioning as a structural support and transport mechanism.

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cytoskeleton British  

/ ˈsaɪtəʊˌskɛlɪtən /

noun

1. a network of fibrous proteins that governs the shape and movement of a biological cell

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cytoskeleton Scientific  

/ sī′tə-skĕl′ĭ-tn /

1. The internal framework of a cell, composed of a network of protein filaments and extending throughout the fluid of the cell (the cytosol). The cytoskeleton consists mainly of actin filaments and microtubules and plays an important role in cell movement, shape, growth, division, and differentiation, as well as in the movement of organelles within the cell. All eukaryotic cells have a cytoskeleton.

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cytoskeleton Cultural  

1. The inner structural elements, or backbone, of a cell. It consists of microtubules and various filaments that spread out through the cytoplasm, providing both structural support and a means of transport within the cell.

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Other Word Forms

• cytoskeletal adjective

Etymology

Origin of cytoskeleton

cyto- + skeleton

Example Sentences

The team also observed that microtubules, another key part of the cytoskeleton, bent and spread out when the actin band was cut.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

"A single change in the cytoskeleton is sufficient to disrupt the course of early brain development."

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

This allows the cytoskeleton to act as a highly dynamic intracellular wiring network to transmit ion-based information from the membrane to the intracellular organelles, including mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and the nucleus.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2024

"DNA does not normally appear in a cytoskeleton," Freeman says.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024

To do this, they used a new programmable peptide-DNA technology that directs peptides, the building blocks of proteins, and repurposed genetic material to work together to form a cytoskeleton.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024