microtubule

[ mahy-kroh-too-byool, -tyoo- ]

/ ˌmaɪ kroʊˈtu byul, -ˈtyu- /

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noun Cell Biology.

a hollow cylindrical structure in the cytoplasm of most cells, involved in intracellular shape and transport.

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Origin of microtubule

First recorded in 1960–65; micro- + tubule

Words nearby microtubule

microtomy, microtone, microtopography, microtransaction, microtremor, microtubule, microvasculature, microvillus, microvolt, microwatt, microwave

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use microtubule in a sentence

The Penrose-Hameroff theory of quantum consciousness argues that microtubules are structured in a fractal pattern which would enable quantum processes to occur.
Can Consciousness Be Explained by Quantum Physics? New Research|Cristiane de Morais Smith|July 25, 2021|Singularity Hub
Each neuron contains microtubules, which transport substances to different parts of the cell.
Can Consciousness Be Explained by Quantum Physics? New Research|Cristiane de Morais Smith|July 25, 2021|Singularity Hub
When they added nucleotides to the drops to simulate polymerization, the tubulin monomers assembled into beautiful microtubules.
A Newfound Source of Cellular Order in the Chemistry of Life|Viviane Callier|January 7, 2021|Quanta Magazine

British Dictionary definitions for microtubule

microtubule

/ (ˌmaɪkrəʊˈtjuːbjuːl) /

noun

biology a tubular aggregate of protein subunits that forms structures, such as the mitotic spindle or the cilia of animal cells or of protozoans, in which the protein interacts with other proteins to generate various cellular movements

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for microtubule

microtubule

[ mī′krō-tōō′byōōl ]

Any of the tube-shaped protein structures that help eukaryotic cells maintain their shape and assist in forming the cell spindle during cell division. Microtubules and actin filaments are the main components of the cell's supporting matrix or cytoskeleton.