When motor proteins drag organelles to move, the motion also creates a current surrounding the cytosol. If many motor proteins move along one direction (for example, move clockwise around the central vacuole in a plant cell), many these small flows join and become powerful cytoplasmic streaming.

What triggers cytoplasmic streaming?

Cytoplasmic streaming occurs due to the motion of organelles attached to actin filaments via myosin motor proteins. ... Actin is a polar molecule, which means that myosin only moves in one direction along the actin filament.

What is the process of cytoplasmic streaming?

Cytoplasmic streaming, commonly referred to as cyclosis, is the process by which the fluid cytoplasm inside a given cell is moved around in currents, carrying nutrients, proteins, and organelles through the cell – and allowing certain simple single-celled organisms to move.