What components make up the cytoskeleton?

The cytoskeleton of a cell is made up of microtubules, intermediate filaments, and actin filaments. These structures assist in giving the cell its shape and also in organizing the cell’s components. They also assist in movement and cell division. Actin filaments exist in a cell as networks or bundles of parallel fibers. These fibers assist in determining the cell shape, adhere to the substrates, and cell cleavage during mitosis. Microtubules are long filaments that consistently assemble and disassemble. They have a vital role in moving the daughter chromosomes to the newly forming daughter cells during mitosis. Additionally, microtubules generate the flagella and cilia that exist in protozoans. Intermediate filaments are very stable structures that are responsible for forming the true skeleton of the cell. They hold the nucleus in place and provide the cell its flexible characteristics and durability to resist tension.