Centrosomes

• Centrosome is found near the nucleus
• Pericentriolar area is the formation site for the mitotic spindle and microtubules
• Centrosome consists of:

  • 2 centrioles positioned 90 degrees to each other
  • 9 clusters of 3 microtubules
  • Plays a role in the formation of cilia and flagella
• Microtubules radiate from the centrosome towards the edge of the cell
• The 'plus' end of the microtubule is furthest away from the centrosome and is where microtubules rapidly lengthen or shorten in response to signals
• In animal cells, the centrosome contains a pair of centrioles, each with nine triplets of microtubules arranged in a ring
• During cell division, the centrioles replicate