Functions
• Microvilli are rather structural modifications that increase the surface area of the cell membrane. It is very useful to the gastrointestinal tract for this function since it helps to maximize the absorption of digested nutrients.
• In addition to increasing the surface area for absorption, a microvillus is a convening point for many digestive enzymes. For example, digestive enzymes for carbohydrates congregate in concentration around microvilli found on enterocytes. They help in the breakdown of complex nutrient molecules into simpler ones, after which they are effortlessly absorbed into the gut vessels by means of the microvilli.
• As mentioned earlier, microvilli are important to the movement of white blood cells, mainly due to their actin filament content.
• It is useful in many other cells. During fertilization, microvilli found on the surface of the egg serve to tighten the grip on the sperm cell, after it must have penetrated the zona pellucida. It does so by extending a number of microtubules on to the sperm cell. Microvilli have a function in the storage of microfilament and membrane materials too.
• Microvilli have an extensive function in aiding the motility of some cells (also due to the presence of actin filaments). When microvilli are destroyed in cells, certain diseases may result. Its function becomes clinically significant in cases of diarrhea. [4]
