axoneme
/ˈæksəˌnim/
noun
- The central core of a cilium or flagellum, consisting of microtubules and associated proteins, that is responsible for movement.
- Under the microscope, the axoneme of the sperm tail showed the typical 9+2 arrangement of microtubules.
- Damage to the axoneme can impair the motility of cilia in the respiratory tract.
- The biologist studied how proteins within the axoneme coordinate to produce wave-like motion.