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kinetosome

biology
Also known as: basal body, blepharoplast

Quick Summary

In biology, a kinetosome is another term for a basal body. A basal body is a small organelle found at the base of a flagellum or cilium, and it is structurally identical to a centriole. These structures are crucial for the movement of many protists, which use flagella or cilia to propel themselves through their environment.123

While the kinetosome (basal body) is involved in the structure and function of flagella and cilia, it is distinct from a kinetoplast. A kinetoplast is a DNA-containing organelle found within the mitochondrion of certain organisms, such as trypanosomes, and is located near the basal body.4

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