A single microtubule contains 10 to 15 protofilaments ... that can rapidly grow (via polymerization) or shrink (via depolymerization) in size, depending on how many tubulin molecules they contain.

Arrows show sites of polymerization at kinetochores and free microtubule plus ends, and depolymerization at poles; they also indicate microtubule polarity. This model combined knowledge of tubulin ...

Taxane compounds bind to β-tubulin subunits, preventing the depolymerization of microtubules ... are particularly susceptible to this type of microtubule-targeted mechanism because they divide ...