Motility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and actively. It can apply to either single-celled or multicellular organisms. Examples of motile organisms are
- Sperm cells are propelled in a liquid by the regular beat of their flagellum
- The bacterium E. coli swims by roting a helical prokaryotic flagellum
Motility requires the consumption of energy by the organism.
In cellular biology or biomedical engineering, motility often refers to directed cell movement down gradients established in biopolymers. Examples are:
- movement along a chemical gradient (see chemotaxis)
- movement along a temperature gradient (see thermotaxis)
- movement along a magnetic field lines (see magnetotaxis)
- movement along the direction of the gravitational force (see gravitaxis)
- movement along a rigidity gradient (see durotaxis)
- movement along a gradient of cell adhesion sites (see haptotaxis)
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