Cilia hoist dust out of the lungs, propel sperm toward the egg, and enable us to catch the scent of fresh coffee. The structures also help some cells attach to their surroundings, Schouteden et al. reveal (1). A cilium is built around the axoneme, an internal shaft of microtubules that sprouts from a structure known as the basal body. Between the axoneme and the basal body lies the transition z...