What are centrioles for?

[Genecks]

Anyone?

I read about this each year.

I keep getting the impression that scientists are stumped.

[Joshua201]

The centrioles in germ cells give rise to the flagellum in sperm during spermiogenesis

[Greippi]

In some cells, cilia can grow from centrioles which play an important part in cell signalling (e.g. platelet derived growth factor).

[Dak]

Aren't they what create the spindles that seperate a cell during cell-devision?

 

They create spindles that brace against the cell-wall, and then create axial spindles and increase their length to push both ends of the cell away from each other during anophase; then, an actin band around the cell pinches down to split the cell in two.

 

\          .         /
\         .        /
--L================L--
/         .        \
/          .         \

^bracing spindles against the
cell-wall

= is axial spindle, elongating it pushes opposite
ends of the cell away from each other

dots are where the actin band would go

 

google cytokinetics for more, i suppose.