The critical concentration for tubulin polymerization is the concentration of
A)tubulin dimers at which all dimers assemble into microtubules.
B)unassembled tubulin dimers when assembly is balanced with disassembly.
C)tubulin dimers at which dimers assemble onto microtubule minus ends but disassemble from plus ends.
D)unassembled tubulin dimers when there is net disassembly of dimers from both microtubule ends.
E)tubulin dimers in most cells.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The critical concentration for tubulin polymerization is defined as the concentration of unassembled tubulin dimers at which the rate of assembly onto the ends of microtubules is balanced by the rate of disassembly from those ends. This means that at the critical concentration, the overall length of microtubules remains constant over time, as the addition of tubulin dimers to one end is offset by the loss from the other end.

The Critical Concentration for Tubulin Polymerization Is the Concentration of