Cytoskeleton and cell movement
Why this matters
Oral tissues must resist force while remaining able to renew, migrate and remodel. Actin, microtubules and intermediate filaments make those behaviours possible - from wound closure to axonal transport and tooth-development signalling.
The big picture
1 Actin shapes the surface and generates protrusive or contractile force. 2 Microtubules organise the interior and provide long-range tracks. 3 Intermediate filaments distribute mechanical stress through tissues. 4 Specialised arrays build cilia, transport cargo and segregate chromosomes.
Cytoskeleton rule: identify the filament, polarity, motor or linker, location and task.
You will be able to
- 1.Compare the three filament systems.
- 2.Explain actin-driven force and cell migration.
- 3.Describe microtubule dynamics and motors.
- 4.Relate intermediate filaments to tissue strength.
- 5.Explain cilia and the mitotic spindle.
- 6.Connect cytoskeletal defects to disease and dentistry.
The 12 cards in this lesson
- 01The cytoskeleton is dynamic - not a fixed scaffold
- 02Three filament systems solve different mechanical problems
- 03Read the cell as an integrated mechanical system
- 04Actin polymerisation reshapes the cell surface
- 05Myosins convert ATP into actin-based work
- 06Cell migration is a repeating mechanical cycle
- 07Microtubules are polar tubes with dynamic ends
- 08Kinesins and dyneins power long-range intracellular transport
- 09Intermediate filaments distribute tensile stress
- 10Cilia are specialised microtubule-based cell projections
- 11The mitotic spindle is a temporary microtubule machine
- 12The cytoskeleton is visible across dental biology
You have got it when
You are ready to continue when you can identify the filament, motor and cellular task in a scenario - then predict what fails when that system is disrupted.
14 references, graded by tier: 14 tier-4 · sources last checked 2026-07-28
The full lesson entry includes
- All 12 teaching cards, each opening at Quick and expanding into Learn and Deep
- 5 final-challenge questions with worked rationales, and a micro-check on every card
- The 8-prompt recall deck, scheduled today, +1, +3, +7 and +21 days
- The misconceptions students actually hold, each with its correction
- All 14 references, tiered and annotated
More preclinical curriculum
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