Re: what are cilia and how do they work?

Dear Mary,

It sounds like your teacher wants you to find out about the cells in the lungs that actually use cilia to help keep the lungs clean.  There is a really nice webpage describing a Normal Lung from the Univ. of Calif.-San Francisco that should be helpful with this assignment.  It has some great microscopic pictures, including one of the epithelial cells lining a large airway, showing their "delicate, fuzzy cilia at the top of each cell".  It also briefly explains their basic function, as well as the effects of tobacco smoke on the epithelial cells & their cilia.

Hopefully this visual aid & explanation will be useful in your modeling exercise.  Best of luck with it,

Jeff Buzby, Ph.D.
CHOC Research Institute
MadSci Cell Biology Network