Is the 9+2 pattern of flagellar and ciliary axonemes an efficient arrangement for generating planar bending?

Abstract

A circlet of 9 interacting microtubular doublets generates less bending moment at low bending rates, but allows bending moment to be generated at higher bending rates, and has an energy efficiency at least 92% as great as an arrangement with all the interactions between microtubular doublets in a plane parallel to the bending plane. The axonemal arrangement has no significant effect on the shape of the normalized relationship between active shear moment and shear rate.