繊毛

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 繊毛 is read as せんもう and is a biological noun for cilia, very fine hairlike structures on cells or microorganisms.
• Basic usage: Use 繊毛が動く for their motion and 気道の表面を覆う繊毛 for their location on the airway.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Not ordinary hair
  • Despite the character 毛, these are microscopic cellular structures rather than scalp or body hair.
• Individual and collective reference
  • Like English cilia, the word often refers collectively to many such structures; context supplies any exact number.