flagellum
flagellum
Definition
fla·gel·lum (flə jel′əm)
noun pl. -·la-ə or -·lums
- a whip
- Biol. a whiplike part or process of some cells, esp. of certain bacteria, protozoans, etc., that is an organ of locomotion or produces a current in the surrounding fluid
- Bot. a threadlike shoot or runner
- Zool. the terminal, lashlike portion of the antenna in many insects
Etymology: L, a whip: see flagellate
flagellum
Usage Examples
Converse of object
- have: Only Bacteria have flagella of a totally different type.
- possess: All the small cells of the colony possess two flagella and a small eyespot.
- use: It is not just protists that use flagella for locomotion.
- encode: This indicates a common ancestry, although no TTSS sequence homologues for the genes encoding the flagellum are found.
- build: Research Title: How does Vibrio cholerae build a flagellum at its old cell pole?
- develop: Sometimes, however, an ameba will issue from the spore, remain quiescent for a few minutes, and then develop flagella.
Adjective modifier
- bacterial: The bacterial flagellum is driven by a proton motive force resulting from a gradient of protons.
- single: Polarity is clearly seen in Vibrio cholerae, a highly motile pathogen that swims by rapidly rotating a single polar flagellum.
- eukaryotic: The organization of these structures is quite different from that of eukaryotic flagella.
- posterior: The phylum Chytridiomycota has traditionally been characterized on the basis of motile cells with a single posterior flagellum.
- long: Haematococcus swims with the aid of two long flagella.
- polar: Polarity is clearly seen in Vibrio cholerae, a highly motile pathogen that swims by rapidly rotating a single polar flagellum.
Modifies a noun
- biogenesis: V. cholerae builds only one flagellum per cell, suggesting that there must be a close coupling between flagellum biogenesis and cell division.
- function: This latter finding is of critical importance since we also show that flagellum function is essential to the survival of bloodstream trypanosomes.
Noun used with modifier
- coli: The E coli flagellum has about 40 different kinds of proteins to make it work.
Browse dictionary entries near flagellum
- flagellin
- flagelliform
- flagellation
- flagellate
- flagellant
- flag-waving
- flag stop
- flag officer
- flag of truce
- flag of convenience
- flageolet
- flagging
- flagitious
- flagman
- flagon
- flagpole
- flagrancy
- flagrant
- flagrante delicto
- flagship
