Trypanosome cell during meiosis producing the first gamete Dr Lori Peacock Dr Lori Peacock
Cartoon showing large nucleus in blue and two smaller nuclei in pale blue and kinetoplasts in dark blue Dr Lori Peacock
Researchers at the University of Bristol have discovered how microbes responsible for human African sleeping sickness produce sex cells.
In these single-celled parasites, known as trypanosomes, each reproductive cell splits off in turn from the parental germline cell, which is responsible for passing on genes. Conventional germline cells divide twice to produce all four sex cells – or gametes – simultaneously. In humans four sperms are produced from a single germline cell. So, these strange parasite cells are doing their own thing rather than sticking to the biology rulebook.
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