Hi! My name is Cecilia Cilia! I’m a graduating senior here at Trachea High, and I thought I might give you a little bit of info about me: I am a eukaryotic celium, and a ‘locomotive appendage’. That means that I am motile, I move. This movement is called undulating, or beating. It’s my job as a cilium living in the trachea, also called the windpipe, to move mucus and debris out of the lungs and up to the mouth. Although I am located in the respiratory system, some celia are found on organisms such as the Paramecium, a protist that moves by way of cilia, on the outer side of the cell membrane. People often mistake me for my best friend, Ella Flagella. It’s true, we are similar in some ways; we are both eukaryotic, and therefore are both made of a ring of nine microtubule doublets surrounding a pair of microtubles in the center (this is called a “9 + 2 pattern”). There are special proteins called ‘dynein arms’ attached to each outer doublet that use ATP to“grab” onto another doublet and move, which causes the motion of the whole celium. ‘Radial spokes’ keep the doublets in their place, but do not constrict their movement. We are both anchored to the cell through a ‘basal body’, a structure that is constructed of 9 microtube triplets, and is similar in shape and structure to the centriole in the cell. The basal body acts as a foundation as the cilium or flagellum grows. We also both contain cytoplasm, and are enclosed by an extension of the plasma membrane. But beyond this, we have quite a few differences. Ella and her flagella friends move in a more whiplike motion, while me and my other celia move like the rowing stroke of a scull. (Crew is actually my favorite sport – I made varsity, first boat this year!) As a rule, I am also much shorter than Ella and her friends. But there is one big pro to being a celium as opposed to a flagellum: I get to see my friends much more often. Usually, there is only one flagellum per cell, propelling that particular cell. Cilia work in teams, all beating in unison to maintain motility. Well, that’s it for now! I hope you enjoyed learning about my everyday life, doing my part both for the cell and for the respiratory system. Check out my yearbook photos and personal profile on the next page, and be sure to sign a little note so I can remember you! GO TRACHEA CLASS OF 2012! - Cecilia