text: Radial spokes are T-shaped structures present inside the axoneme. Each spoke consists of a "head" and a "stalk," while each of these sub-structures is itself made up of many protein subunits. In all, the radial spoke is known to contain at least seventeen proteins, five in the head and twelve in the stalk. The spoke stalk binds to the A-tubule of each microtubule outer doublet, and the spoke head faces in towards the center of the axoneme (see illustration at right).