Editing Microfilament (section)

==Mechanism of force generation==
As a result of ATP hydrolysis, filaments elongate approximately 10 times faster at their barbed ends than their pointed ends. At [[steady-state]], the polymerization rate at the barbed end matches the depolymerization rate at the pointed end, and microfilaments are said to be [[treadmilling]]. Treadmilling results in elongation in the barbed end and shortening in the pointed-end, so that the filament in total moves. Since both processes are energetically favorable, this means force is generated, the energy ultimately coming from ATP.<ref name="Keith Roberts 2002" />