A membrane-tethered, short cylindrical array of microtubules and associated proteins found at the base of a eukaryotic cilium (also called flagellum) that is similar in structure to a centriole and derives from it. The cilium basal body is the site of assembly and remodeling of the cilium and serves as a nucleation site for axoneme growth. As well as anchoring the cilium, it is thought to provide a selective gateway regulating the entry of ciliary proteins and vesicles by intraflagellar transport. [ GOC:cilia GOC:clt http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21750193 ]
Synonyms: microtubule basal body cilial basal body kinetosome cilium basal body
Term information
In most eukaryotic cells, 'ciliary basal body' (GO:0036064) and 'centriole' (GO:0005814) represent a common entity that cycles through its function in cell division, then ciliogenesis, then cell division again. However, these structures are modified extensively as they transition into each other, and may contain different proteins, specific to each component.