flagellum

Also known as flagella

A flagellum (; : flagella) (Latin for 'whip' or 'scourge') is a hair-like appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, from fungal spores (zoospores), and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many protists with flagella are known as flagellates.

AI overview

A flagellum is a whip-like appendage that sticks out from certain cells, including sperm cells, fungal spores, and various microorganisms, and it helps these cells move around. This structure is important because it enables otherwise stationary or slow-moving cells to swim and navigate through their environments.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Anatomy.Name: Flagellum
Anatomy.Image: Flagellum base diagram-en.svg
Anatomy.Caption: Structure of bacterial flagellum
Anatomy.Image2: Chlamydomonas (10000x).jpg
Anatomy.Caption2: SEM image of flagellated eukaryote Chlamydomonas sp. (10000×)

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

21,548 papers

The flagellum of trypanosomes.ReviewInternational review of cytology · 2005Kohl L, Bastin PDOI: 10.1016/S0074-7696(05)44006-1
Flagellum assembly and function during the Leishmania life cycle.ReviewCurrent opinion in microbiology · 2010Gluenz E, Ginger ML, McKean PGDOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2010.05.008
Building the bacterial flagellum: coordinating regulation, dynamic assembly, and function.ReviewMicrobiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2025Einenkel R, Halte M, Sawant SA et al.DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00092-22
The Flagellum Attachment Zone: 'The Cellular Ruler' of Trypanosome Morphology.ReviewTrends in parasitology · 2016Sunter JD, Gull KDOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.12.010
The flagellum and flagellar pocket of trypanosomatids.ReviewMolecular and biochemical parasitology · 2001Landfear SM, Ignatushchenko MDOI: 10.1016/s0166-6851(01)00262-6
Building a flagellum outside the bacterial cell.ReviewTrends in microbiology · 2014Evans LD, Hughes C, Fraser GMDOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2014.05.009
Integrated control of surface adaptation by the bacterial flagellum.ReviewCurrent opinion in microbiology · 2021Hershey DMDOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.02.004
Flagellum tapering and midpiece volume in songbird spermatozoa.Journal of morphology · 2022Cramer ERA, Grønstøl G, Lifjeld JTDOI: 10.1002/jmor.21524

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Wikidata facts

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Flagella

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~31 min read

Article

25 sections

Contents

Types
Bacterial flagella
Structure and composition
Motor
Assembly
Evolution
Flagella and the intelligent design debate
Flagellar arrangements
Bundling
Molecular mechanism of rotational switching
Eukaryotic flagella
Terminology
Internal structure
Mechanism
Flagella versus cilia
Intraflagellar transport
Evolution and occurrence
Typology
Archaeal flagella
Fungal
Additional images
See also
References
Further reading
External links

A microorganism may have from one to many flagella. A gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori, for example, uses its flagella to propel itself through the stomach to reach the mucous lining where it may colonise the epithelium and potentially cause gastritis, and ulcers – a risk factor for stomach cancer. In some swarming bacteria, the flagellum can also function as a sensory organelle, being sensitive to wetness outside the cell.