Sexual reproduction and genetic exchange in parasitic protists SUMMARY: Sexual reproduction is often murky in parasites because it’s difficult to observe. There are two other ways to determine if an organism has sex: differences in genomes and genes for meiosis. However, in parasites, there are exceptions to this rule in that some organisms may have… Continue reading Sexual reproduction in parasitic protists
Tag: sexual reproduction
Insights into transgenerational epigenetics from studies of ciliates
Insights into transgenerational epigenetics from studies of ciliates SUMMARY: This article summarizes what we know about ciliate epigenetics so far. The first section is an introduction to their weird nucleus situation: ciliates have two types of nuclei, the macronucleus and the micronucleus. Several examples of ciliate epigenetics are given in sections 2 and 3. Some… Continue reading Insights into transgenerational epigenetics from studies of ciliates
Meiotic Genes in Colpodean Ciliates Support Secretive Sexuality
Meiotic Genes in Colpodean Ciliates Support Secretive Sexuality SUMMARY: Researchers compared the genomes of two ciliates: one known to have sex, and another that has not been observed to have sex under laboratory conditions. Genes for meiosis were found in both classes of ciliates. Also, structures such as the micronuclei and macronuclei indicate that perhaps… Continue reading Meiotic Genes in Colpodean Ciliates Support Secretive Sexuality
Rotifers Eating Foreign DNA
Evidence Supporting the Uptake and Genomic Incorporation of Environmental DNA in the “Ancient Asexual” Bdelloid Rotifer Philodina roseola SUMMARY: This study looked at whether bdelloid rotifers were better at taking in DNA compared to Monogononta rotifers. Bdelloids are a class of rotifers that only reproduce asexually. There has never been a male observed. Their cells… Continue reading Rotifers Eating Foreign DNA