microfibril
- noun
- /ˌmaɪkroʊˈfaɪbrɪl/
- Specialized
- Microfibrils provide structural support in plant cell walls, making them essential for plant strength.
Examples
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Each elastin fiber is made up of microfibrils of 10-12 nm in diameter. Elastin is produced by fibroblasts.
Academic text (1995) -
As the mass grew larger, the microfibrils of extracellular cellulose entrapped bacterial cells and formed a "pellicle," a structure thought to aid the growth and survival of the microorganism.
Academic text (1993) -
We can keep going even smaller, and we find that microfibrils are made of protofibrils.
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Promisingly enough, even with such small samples, they identified cavitation, plastic yield, and microfibril rupture.
Academic text (1999) -
It will keep the microfibrils, the cellulose and the cell structures all swollen.
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IgA specific for the endomysial lining of microfibrils was identified by its reticulin-like staining of smooth muscle bundles.
Academic text (1999) -
The researcher used a microscope to study how microfibrils contribute to the tensile strength of the material.
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In the developing embryo, microfibrils play a crucial role in tissue formation and cellular organization.
Synonyms
A very thin thread found in cells or silk
A very thin thread inside body tissue or made by people
A long thin thread of tissue in animals or plants
How Thin
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Microfibril comes from the micro- part meaning 'very small' and the fibril part, which is like fiber meaning 'thread' or 'string'. So a microfibril is a 'very small thread' that gives structure and strength to cells and materials.