Several of the epithelial cells in the field of view during this live-cell video have formed a small colony, but others traverse the environment of the imaging chamber freely. Migrating LLC-MK2 cells crawl across the culture medium via the extension and contraction of broad, flattened lamellipodia. The fluttering activity that can be seen along lamellipodia during the high speed playback of time-lapse sequences is known as ruffling. The leading margin of a locomoting epithelial cell typically experiences the most prominent ruffling, as demonstrated by the featured LLC-MK2 cells.

Similar to other established epithelial lines, LLC-MK2 cells generally experience considerable contact inhibition of migration. Membrane ruffling usually ceases in the region of overlap between colliding cells and junctions are often formed that tether them tightly together. Sometimes, however, the continued lamellipodia ruffling along the free margins of the cells will enable them to generate enough force to break apart and to embark upon new paths across the substratum.

Each of the LLC-MK2 cells contains a large nucleus and prominent nucleoli. The granular material scattered throughout the cytoplasm is comprised of mitochondria. As evidenced by the video, mitochondria are very dynamic organelles. The small spherical bodies that appear along the peripheries of the cells and then travel toward more central cytoplasmic regions are vacuoles. In animal cells, vacuoles are often formed to temporarily hold water, food, or wastes. The vacuoles observable in the LLC-MK2 cells likely contain small fragments of culture medium, which they digest in order to obtain nutrients.