Differences between cilia and flagella (cilia vs flagella)

 

Differences between cilia and flagella (cilia vs flagella)

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S.N.	Character	Cilia	Flagella
1.	Definition	Cilia are short, hair like appendages extending from the surface of a living cell.	Flagella are long, threadlike appendages on the surface of a living cell.
2.	Etymology	From Latin word for “eyelash”.	From Latin word for “whip”.
3.	Singular form	Cilium	Flagellum
4.	Found in	Eukaryotic cells	Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells
5.	Distribution	In protozoans of the class ciliate and ciliated epithelium of the metazoan, in larva of certain platyhelminthes, echinodermata, mollusc and annelid.	In some bacterial cells, protozoans of the class Flagellata, choanocyte of the sponges, spermatzoa of the metazoan and among plants in the algae and gamete cells.
6.	Length	Short and hair like organelle (5-10µ)	Long wipe like organelle (150µ)
7.	Thickness	Greater diameter than flagella. They are around 0.3 to 0.5 um thick.	Flagella attached to the margin of the bacteria are around 20-25 nm (0.02 to 0.025 um) thin.
8.	Number	Numerous	Lesser in Number. Prokaryotes can have more than one flagella.
9.	Density	Many (hundreds) per cell	Few (less than 10) per cell
10.	Position on cell	Occurs throughout the cell surface.	Presence at one end or two ends or all over the surface.
11.	Organization	Possess a central bundle of microtubules, called the axoneme, in which nine outer doublet microtubules surround a central pair of singlet microtubule. Characteristic “9 + 2” arrangement of microtubules is seen when the axoneme is viewed in cross section with the electron microscope.	Eukaryotic flagella are remarkably similar in their organization to cilia. Prokaryotic flagella are simpler structures made up of flagellin (53KDa subunit).
12.	Beating synchronization	Cilia beat in a coordinated rhythm either simultaneously (synchronous) or one after the other (metachronic).	They beat independent of each other.
13.	Motion type	Rotational, like a motor, very fast moving.	Rotary movement in prokaryotes. Bending movement in eukaryotes.
14.	Swimming motion	Cilia moves like the breast stroke	Flagella move in an oar-like style.
15.	Energy Production	Cilia use ‘kinesin’ which has an ATPase activity that produces energy to perform the movement.	Flagella are powered by the proton-motive force by the plasma membrane in prokaryotes. ATP-driven in eukaryotes.
16.	Types	Two types of cilia are found in eukaryotic cells: primary/non-motile cilia and motile cilia.	Three types of flagella are identified: bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic.
17.	Purpose	Helps in locomotion or move substances along the outer surface of the cell (for example, the cilia of cells lining the fallopian tubes that move the ovum toward the uterus, or cilia lining the cells of the respiratory tract that move particulate matter toward the throat that mucus has trapped), feeding circulation, aeration, etc.	Help mainly in locomotion only.
18.	Functions	Except for sperms, cilia in mammalian systems not for locomotion.	Extend from the plasma membrane and are used to move an entire cell.
19.	Examples	Cilia present in Paramecium	Flagella present in Salmonella