  Cytoskeletal motor proteins move on filamentous tracks by converting input
chemical energy that they derive by catalyzing the hydrolysis of ATP. The
ATPase site is the analog of an engine and hydrolysis of ATP is the analog of
burning of chemical fuel. Moreover, the functional role of a segment of the
motor is analogous to that of the transmission system of an automobile that
consists of shaft, gear, clutch, etc. The operation of the engine is
intrinsically "noisy" and the motor faces a molecular "hailstorm" in the
aqueous medium. In this commemorative article, we celebrate the centenary of
Michaelis and Menten's landmark paper of 1913 and the golden jubilee of Monod
et al.'s classic paper of 1963 by highlighting their relevance in explaining
the operational mechanisms of the engine and the transmission system,
respectively, of cytoskeletal motors.
