microfilament
/ˌmaɪkroʊˈfɪləmənt/
noun
- A very thin, threadlike structure found in cells, part of the cytoskeleton that helps maintain cell shape and enable movement.
- Microfilaments help cells change shape when they move.
- The contraction of muscle cells depends on microfilaments sliding past each other.
- In biology class, we learned how microfilaments support the cell membrane.