Question

Assertion: Bacterial cells may be motile or non motile. Reason: Bacterial cells may or may not posses cilia.

Short answer

Although bacterial cells may be motile or non-motile, they do not possess cilia. Therefore, the reason that bacterial cells may or may not possess cilia doesn't explain the assertion.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Bacterial Motility

The term 'motile' here refers to the ability to move. Some bacteria have the ability to move toward or away from certain stimuli in their environment, an ability known as motility. The means of this mobility in bacteria can be due to a few structures like flagella, axial filaments, etc. We need to understand whether cilia is one of these motile apparatus or not.

Understanding the function of cilia

Cilia are tiny hair-like structures present on the surface of all mammalian cells. They are responsible for the movement of cells, or the transfer of materials around the cell. But it's important to remember that bacterial cells do not possess cilia.

Correlation between Motility, Cilia, and Bacterial cells

Having established that bacterial cells do not have cilia, it's clear that the presence or absence of cilia isn't the cause for bacterial cells' motility. Some bacteria move using other structures like flagella or axial filaments. Therefore, the Reason provided isn't correct to explain the assertion, and they don't correlate.