How does the structure of the Ciliated Epithelial Cell relate to its function?
Cilia are not hairs, but they are hair-like structures, and they beat back and forth. A paramecium has lots of cilia, and swims by beating them, like oars. A sperm has a single long flagellum that it swims with. A flagellum is essentially a long cilium. They have the same basic structure, just flagella are longer and usually occur singly. The epithelial cells that line the trachea and bronchi are ciliated – likewise those that line the Fallopian tubes. These cilia beat back and forth, but the cells do not move, because they are fixed in position. Such epithelium is covered by a layer of mucus, which traps particles, bacteria, etc., that may get in there, The beating cilia move that layer of mucus out of the organ, thereby helping get rid of whatever may have gotten in. A pint or more of mucus is propelled up out of our lungs every day by this mechanism – and we swallow it. We usually don’t notice it, except when the mucus is particularly thick or there is an excessive amount of it. In
