Which description matches the function of microtubules?

Which description matches the function of microtubules?

• A. Dense fibers for muscle contraction
• B. Sites of protein synthesis
• C. Membrane-bound sacs for storage
• D. Hollow tubes that help move things around the cell

Answer: (D)

Microtubules are hollow tubes that form part of the cell’s cytoskeleton. Their main function is to act as tracks for motor proteins like kinesin and dynein, which carry vesicles, organelles, and other cargo to different parts of the cell, enabling intracellular transport. They also organize chromosomes during cell division and form the core structure of cilia and flagella in some cells. This is why describing microtubules as hollow tubes that help move things around the cell is the best match. Other options refer to actin filaments involved in muscle contraction, ribosomes that synthesize proteins, or membrane-bound sacs for storage, none of which describe the primary role of microtubules.

Microtubules are hollow tubes that form part of the cell’s cytoskeleton. Their main function is to act as tracks for motor proteins like kinesin and dynein, which carry vesicles, organelles, and other cargo to different parts of the cell, enabling intracellular transport. They also organize chromosomes during cell division and form the core structure of cilia and flagella in some cells. This is why describing microtubules as hollow tubes that help move things around the cell is the best match. Other options refer to actin filaments involved in muscle contraction, ribosomes that synthesize proteins, or membrane-bound sacs for storage, none of which describe the primary role of microtubules.