Undulipodia, flagella and cilia

The term flagella is ambiguous. It refers to bacterial structures composed of flagellin protein and to eukaryotic structures composed of microtubule proteins and ATPase (tubulin and dynein). The fact that cilia are nearly identical to eukaryotic flagella and have nothing in common with prokaryotic flagella is not apparent from the terminology. It is proposed that the 30-year old suggestion of Smagina and reiterated by Kuznicki and others, be adopted: that cilia and eukaryotic flagella be called "undulipodia." The term flagella ought to be restricted to prokaryotic organelles, bacterial flagella and spirochaete axial filaments: solid structures composed of flagellin which protrude through the plasma membrane and lack intrinsic motility throughout their length. Undulipodia are defined as intrinsically motile intracellular structures showing a 9-fold symmetry in the pattern of arrangement of 24 nm diameter microtubules. They are limited to eukaryotes, members of the protoctist, animal and plant kingdoms.