Though some isolated cells in culture actively wander around their environment, the A-10 myoblast observable during the high speed playback of this time-lapse sequence is relatively sedentary. Much can still be learned about cell dynamics, however, by closely watching the myoblast. The cell, for instance, continuously forms and retracts various surface extensions. The broad-flattened rim of the cell free from most organelles is comprised of lamellipodia, which are sheet-like sections of membrane-enclosed cytoplasm. The smaller, much narrower projections that form along the periphery of the A-10 myoblast are filopodia.

Focal adhesions formed as lamellipodia and filopodia stretch over the substratum can be used as anchorage points that enable a cell to crawl about its environment through cycles of extension and contraction. The cell in the video, however, never seems to be able to create enough traction to propel itself very far. The myoblast appears to have a strong affinity for the substratum, whereas cells that characteristically exhibit rapid migration, such as neutrophils, often are less attracted to culture surfaces and, therefore, form weaker, less permanent points of adhesion.

The behavior of lamellipodia and filopodia can appear erratic. The structures are extended and receded so rapidly that during high speed playback of time-lapse sequences they can give the impression of a flickering flame. This complex phenomenon is called ruffling. In migrating cells, ruffling is usually most prominent along the leading margin, but in the moderately stationary A-10 cell, ruffling can be seen along almost the entire periphery of the myoblast. Membrane ruffles demonstrate an overall rearward movement, away from the anterior of a cell.