Microtubule/Tubulin

Microtubules are a component of the cytoskeleton, found throughout the cytoplasm. These tubular polymers of tubulin can grow as long as 50 micrometres, with an average length of 25 µm, and are highly dynamic. The outer diameter of a microtubule is about 24 nm while the inner diameter is about 12 nm. Microtubules are found in eukaryotic cells and are formed by the polymerization of a dimer of two globular proteins, alpha and beta tubulin. Tubulin is one of several members of a small family of globular proteins. The tubulin superfamily includes five distinct families, the alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta-, and epsilon-tubulins and a sixth family which is present only in kinetoplastid protozoa. The most common members of the tubulin family are α-tubulin and β-tubulin, the proteins that make up microtubules. Microtubules are very important in a number of cellular processes. They are involved in maintaining the structure of the cell.