Cell cortex
Okay kiddo, so you know how your body has a skeleton? Well, cells also have their own skeleton, it's called the cell cortex.
The cell cortex is like a thin layer of stretchy material that sits right underneath the outer layer of the cell, kind of like a shirt under a jacket. It's made up of long thin strands called actin filaments and myosin motors.
The actin filaments are like little rope-like things that are super strong and can bend and stretch. The myosin motors are like tiny machines that move along the actin filaments to help the cell move and change shape.
Just like how you can make your body move and change shape by using your muscles, cells can use the cell cortex to do the same thing. They can contract and relax, squeeze and stretch, and even move around!
The cell cortex is also important because it helps keep the cell's shape in place. It's like a jacket that hugs the body and keeps everything from flopping around.
So, that's basically what the cell cortex is. It's a strong, stretchy layer of material that helps cells move, change shape and keep their form. Pretty cool, huh?
The cell cortex is like a thin layer of stretchy material that sits right underneath the outer layer of the cell, kind of like a shirt under a jacket. It's made up of long thin strands called actin filaments and myosin motors.
The actin filaments are like little rope-like things that are super strong and can bend and stretch. The myosin motors are like tiny machines that move along the actin filaments to help the cell move and change shape.
Just like how you can make your body move and change shape by using your muscles, cells can use the cell cortex to do the same thing. They can contract and relax, squeeze and stretch, and even move around!
The cell cortex is also important because it helps keep the cell's shape in place. It's like a jacket that hugs the body and keeps everything from flopping around.
So, that's basically what the cell cortex is. It's a strong, stretchy layer of material that helps cells move, change shape and keep their form. Pretty cool, huh?