This document discusses actin filaments and their role in cell movement. It describes how actin monomers polymerize to form actin filaments, with ATP hydrolysis driving the treadmilling cycle of monomers adding and dissociating from the barbed and pointed ends. Various actin-binding proteins regulate filament assembly and organization, including ADF/cofilin which enhances depolymerization and can sever filaments, and profilin which enhances polymerization. Actin filaments associate with the cell membrane and form the cell cortex, protrusions, and attachments to the extracellular matrix through focal adhesions, determining cell shape and enabling cell movement.