biology

KIF3A

KIF3A is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand KIF3A rather than just read about it. In short: Kinesin-like protein KIF3A is a protein that in humans is encoded by the KIF3A gene. Function KIF3A is one subunit of the heterotrimeric motor protein, kinesin-2, that was initially isolated from sea urchin egg/embryo cytosol using microtubule affinity purification.

Key takeaways

KIF3A belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect KIF3A to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of KIF3A from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kinesin-like protein KIF3A is a protein that in humans is encoded by the KIF3A gene.

Function KIF3A is one subunit of the heterotrimeric motor protein, kinesin-2, that was initially isolated from sea urchin egg/embryo cytosol using microtubule affinity purification. This motor consists of two kinesin-related subunits (called KIF3A and KIF3B or 3C in vertebrates) and an associated protein (KAP3), and it transports protein complexes, nucleic acids and organelles towards the "plus" ends of microtubule tracks within cells. Work done in a broad range of eukaryotic cells has revealed that heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is the primary motor protein driving the intraflagellar transport of tubulins and other axonemal building blocks from the base of the ciliary/flagellar axoneme to their site of assembly at the distal tips. This process is required for cilium assembly/maintenance and cilium-based signalling which play key roles in various cell and developmental processes. For example, in vertebrate embryos, kinesin-2 function is required for cilia-dependent nodal flow and the development of left-right asymmetry.

Interactions KIF3A has been shown to interact with MAP3K10.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with KIF3A

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what KIF3A claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to KIF3A before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about KIF3A ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of KIF3A

In research: KIF3A appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses KIF3A in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: KIF3A is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Genes on human chromosome 5, Human chromosome 5 gene stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for KIF3A outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study KIF3A in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what KIF3A means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain KIF3A out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is KIF3A in simple terms?

Kinesin-like protein KIF3A is a protein that in humans is encoded by the KIF3A gene. Function KIF3A is one subunit of the heterotrimeric motor protein, kinesin-2, that was initially isolated from sea urchin egg/embryo cytosol using microtubule affinity purification.

Why does KIF3A matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study KIF3A?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on KIF3A.