The
eukaryote cytoskeleton. Actin filaments are shown in red, microtubules in green, and the
nuclei are in blue.
The cytoskeleton is a kind of scaffolding present in all cells. It is made of protein.
It keeps cell shape, protects the cell and enables cells to move (using structures such as flagella and cilia). It helps transport inside the cytoplasm (the movement of vesicles and organelles, for example), and in cell division. The concept and the term (cytosquelette, in French) was introduced by French embryologist Paul Wintrebert in 1931.