ULTIMATE COMPUTING - Quantum Consciousness Studies

54 Origin and Evolution of Life
Figure 3.2: Centrioles are cylinders of 9 triplets of microtubules, shown here in
cross-section. Pairs of centrioles associate at right angles to each other, shown
here at bottom. By Paul Jablonka.
Centrioles reside within a portion of the cytoplasm known as the centrosome
(or centrosphere) adjacent to the cell nucleus outer membrane. By triggering and
guiding polymerization of microtubules and other cytoskeletal elements,
centrioles temporally and spatially organize cytoplasm (“microtubule organizing
center”—MTOC, Figure 3.3 and Chapter 5). For example centrioles and
microtubules (mitotic spindles) separate chromosomes and establish daughter cell
architecture (Figure 3.4)—features which had enormous advantages in
accelerating eukaryotic evolution.