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Alpha-Actinin - Reciprocal Net Common Molecule Log in
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Alpha-Actinin

Actin aids in providing structure and shape to animal, plant, and fungal cells.

Layman's explanation: Actin is rarely found as a single strand, rather, it aggregates with other actin proteins to form filaments. These filaments give strength and structure to cells. Actin composes approximately one fifth of all protein in a muscle cell. This is due to the dynamic nature of actin, as it is able to easily assemble and disassemble according to the needs of cell. The dynamism is due to ATP molecules, which are attached to free actin, forming ADP by losing phosphate, allowing actin to bind to growing filaments.
Keywords: filament, protein, cell structure

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