Flagellum
| Organelle Details | |
|---|---|
| Flagellum |  |
| |
| Base Cost (MP) | 55 |
| Requires Nucleus | No |
| Processes | None |
| Enzymes | None |
| Size (Hexes) | 1 |
| Osmoregulation Cost | 1 |
| Storage | 0.5 |
| Unique | No |
| Upgrades | None |
| Internal Name | flagellum |
Hair-like filaments on the outside of a cell which use ATP 
to increase cell movement speed in one direction. Thrust is applied in the opposite direction to the outward-facing direction of the Flagellum.
Requirements
If organelle upgrades are enabled in game settings, at least one of the following condition must be true for the player cell:
- Has speed below 15.
- Produces at least +15 ATP .
Processes
No processes.
Modifications
No modifications.
Effects
Each Flagellum provides directional thrust in the direction opposite its orientation. They also provide partial thrust in directions near the exact opposite direction (to be precise, those for which the component of that exact opposite vector is positive). Whenever a Flagellum is active, it consumes ATP .
Upgrades
No upgrades.
Strategy
Speed is important for both predators and prey, so Flagella are a common sight in the microbial environment. Unless your cell is predominantly sessile, we recommend adding at least some Flagella to help you chase and escape from other cells, especially to offset the speed decrease after evolving a Nucleus.
Watch out for your cell's ATP balance. It's possible for a cell to survive with overall negative balance if you move only in short bursts and produce enough ATP to sustain yourself when the consumption induced by Flagella is ignored.
Scientific Background
Flagella are structures found in a wide variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, in which they are primarily used as a means of propulsion.
There are significant differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic flagella, although in both cases they broadly resemble whip-like structures that perform movements to propel the cell forward through a fluid environment. In the case of prokaryote flagella, this motion is rotational, with the flagellum being embedded in a bearing-like "socket" on the outer membrane that allows it to spin continuously in either direction, allowing the flagellum to effectively act like a helical propeller; in eukaryote cells (such as human sperm cells), flagella instead use an oscillatory motion, beating back and forth to generate a sinusoidal wave-like pattern that travels down the length of the structure.