What are the composition, mechanical properties, and roles of i ntermediate filaments inside the cell?
A.
Intermediate filaments are ropelike fibers with a diameter of about 10 nm; they are made of fibrous intermediate filament proteins.
B.
One type of intermediate filament forms a meshwork called the nuclear lamina just beneath the inner nuclear membrane. Other types extend across the cytoplasm, giving cells mechanical strength and distributing the mechanical stresses in an epithelial tissue by spanning the cytoplasm from one cell–cell junction to another.
C.
Intermediate filaments are very flexible and have great tensile strength.
D.
They deform under stress but do not rupture.