Motility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and actively, consuming energy in the process. Most animals are motile but the term applies to both single-celled and multicellular organisms. Motile marine animals are commonly called free-swimming. The opposite of motility is sessility.

[edit] Examples

Examples of motility include:

• Sperm cells, propelled by the regular beat of their flagellum.
• The bacterium E. coli, which swims by rotating a helical prokaryotic flagellum.
• Human beings, who move at will.

[edit] Movements

Movements can be:

• along a chemical gradient (see chemotaxis)
• along a temperature gradient (see thermotaxis)
• along a light gradient (see phototaxis)
• along a magnetic field line (see magnetotaxis)
• along a electric field (see galvanotaxis)
• along the direction of the gravitational force (see gravitaxis)
• along a rigidity gradient (see durotaxis)
• along a gradient of cell adhesion sites (see haptotaxis)
• along other cells or biopolymers

[edit] See also

• Cell migration

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