They work to keep the airways clear of mucus and dirt, allowing us to breathe easily and without irritation.They also help propel sperm.
Mucus in the airways helps trap foreign particles to protect the respiratory system. Cilia are tiny beating hairs that sweep the mucus up to your throat where it is either coughed out or swallowed by the acids in your stomach. The cilia are like a janitor who always sweeps up the messes. A cilium (plural cilia) is an organelle found in eukaryotic cells. Cilia are slender protuberances that project from the much larger cell body. There are two types of cilia: 1  motile cilia, which beat against fluid outside the cell. 2  non-motile, or primary cilia, which typically serve as sensory organelles. Cilia are slender, microscopic, hair-like structures or organelles that extend from the surface of nearly all mammalian cells (multiple or single). Source: Amelia Shoemark. ' Motile ' (or moving) cilia are found in the lungs, respiratory tract and middle ear. These cilia have a rhythmic waving or beating motion (see right). They work, for instance, to keep the airways clear of mucus and dirt, allowing us to breathe easily and without irritation. They also help propel sperm There are two types of cilia, motile cilia (moving cilia) and non-motile cilia. Motile cilia constantly beat in a single direction, whilst non-motile cilia typically sense the cells’ environment. Non-motile cilia are often referred to as ‘primary’ cilia. Normally a cell only has one non-motile cilium. There are some cells in the body that have a specialized primary cilium which have a very important job to do. For example in the human eye, there is a primary cilium that connects the outer segment of the rod photoreceptor cell to its cell body. Cilia and Flagella Cilia and flagella are motile cellular appendages found in most microorganisms and animals, but not in higher plants. In multicellular organisms, cilia function to move a cell or group of cells or to help transport fluid or materials past them. The respiratory tract in humans is lined with cilia that keep inhaled dust, smog, and potentially harmful microorganisms from entering the lungs. Cilia and flagella move liquid past the surface of the cell.For single cells, such as sperm, this enables them to swim.For cells anchored in a tissue, like the epithelial cell … s lining our air passages, this moves liquid over the surface of the cell (e.g., driving particle-laden mucus toward the throat). Cilia and Flagella are hairlike organelles that branch out from the surface of the cell, where they help in the movement. These organelles can be found in any eukaryotic cells. Cilia are present when there are short and large numbers of organelles on the cell Larger eukaryotes, such as mammals, have motile cilia as well. Motile cilia are usually present on a cell's surface in large numbers and beat in coordinated waves. 1  In humans, for example, motile cilia are found in the lining of the trachea (windpipe), where they sweep mucus and dirt out of the lungs. A cilium (Latin for eyelash; the plural is cilia) is an organelle found in eukaryotic cells. Cilia are slender protuberances that project from the much larger cell body. There are two types of cilia: motile cilia and non-motile, or primary cilia, which typically serve as sensory organelles. In eukaryotes, motile cilia and flagella together make up a group of organelles known as undulipodia. Motile cilia are usually present on a cell's surface in large numbers and beat in coordinated waves. 1  In humans, for example, motile cilia are found in the lining of the trachea (windpipe), where they sweep mucus and dirt out of the lungs.
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_function_of_cilia https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilia http://www.ciliopathyalliance.org/cilia/structure-and-function-of-cilia.html http://lmbbs.org.uk/LMBBS/file/Cilia.php http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/ciliaandflagella/ciliaandflagella.html http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_function_of_cilia_and_flagella https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilium
what is cilia function