cytoskeleton

Term: cytoskeleton

Origin: Anc Greek

 κύτος/kytos (=container, box)

Greek letter K is replased by latin C, like in word “cycle” which is derived from word “kyklos” and it is used as a combining form meaning “cell” in the formation of compound words like cytochrome, cytogenetics etc.

σκελετός/skeletos (= the group of bones of an animal body)

Ø     σκέλλω /skello(=dry up) > σκληρός/scleros(=hard)

literally meaning “cellular  scaffolding”

Coined

In 1928 by Russian biologist Nikolai  Koltzoff  (1872–1940) who first postulated the existence of a cytoskeleton. According Koltzoff :



Nikolai Konstantinovich Koltsov (1872- 1940)



Each cell is a system of liquid components and rigid skeletons, which generate the shape, and even though we rarely see the skeletal fibrils in living and fixed cells which only means that these fibrils are very thin or that they are not distinguished by their refractive index form the surrounding colloidal solution”.
Electron micrograph has confirmed his assumption and reveals the presence of cytoskeleton fabric formed of microtubules, microfilaments and intermediate filaments.

Definition

Cytoskeleton is proteinecous network of cell which is composed of three well defined filamentous structures – in the form of microtubules, microfilament and intermediate filaments.