Flagellum

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/flagellum

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the structural classification?Prokaryotic flagella (bacterial, archaeal) and eukaryotic flagella (9+2 microtubule arrangement)
2. What is the associated biological processes?Chemotaxis, biofilm formation, pathogenesis, reproduction, mucociliary clearance, embryonic development
3. How does a bacterial flagellum spin?In bacteria, the flagellum is made of a protein called flagellin and turns like a propeller. A small motor inside the cell uses ions, like protons or sodium, to spin the flagellum and push the cell forward.
4. Why do eukaryotic flagella look different from bacterial ones?Eukaryotic flagella have a 9+2 arrangement of tiny tubes called microtubules and move in a wavy, whip‑like way. Bacterial flagella are simpler, made of a single filament that rotates, so they are built in different ways.

Chemotaxis: The directed movement of an organism in response to a chemical gradient.
Microtubule: Hollow cylindrical structures in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells, part of the cytoskeleton.
Convergent Evolution: The independent evolution of similar features in different lineages.