Cell about to divide

Confocal microscope image of a single cell from a mouse cell line soon before it divides in culture (grown in a dish). The nucleus has been stained blue, whilst two components of the cytoskeleton, actin microfilaments and neurofilaments, are stained red and green respectively. The cytoskeleton forms the internal framework of the cell, giving it shape and allowing it to maintain interactions with its neighbours. This framework can be rapidly assembled and disassembled by the cell.

Dr David Becker and Kate Whitley, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London.