What are the general uses for undifferentiated and differentiated microtubules? How do the structures formed by these two types of microtubules differ?
A cell's long, hollow, cylindrically shaped microtubules help maintain the shape of the cell by forming a cytoskeleton. Microtubules consist of helically stacked molecules of the protein tubulin. Floating freely in the cytoplasm, undifferentiated microtubules are regularly assembled and disassembled over the life of the cell. In contrast, differentiated microtubules, or those that have been incorporated into the structure of various organelles such as centrioles, cilia, and flagella, are more stable.
