Term Name: actin filament
Synonyms: microfilament
Definition: A filamentous structure formed of a two-stranded helical polymer of the protein actin and associated proteins. Actin filaments are a major component of the contractile apparatus of skeletal muscle and the microfilaments of the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells. The filaments, comprising polymerized globular actin molecules, appear as flexible structures with a diameter of 5-9 nm. They are organized into a variety of linear bundles, two-dimensional networks, and three dimensional gels. In the cytoskeleton they are most highly concentrated in the cortex of the cell just beneath the plasma membrane.
Ontology: GO: Cellular Component [GO:0005884]   QuickGO   AmiGO

Relationships
is part of: actin cytoskeleton
has parts: actin filament branch point filamentous actin
is a type of: polymeric cytoskeletal fiber
has subtype: actin filament of cell cortex of cell tip actomyosin contractile ring actin filament
inverse has_part: actin filament bundle actin fusion focus actin wave actin-based cell projection