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Single-Celled Species' Genome As Complex As Ours?
An anonymous reader writes: "A new paper reports on the sequencing and analysis of the genome of a single-celled species known as Tetrahymena thermophila. This ciliate (like the Paramecium people look at in school) has some 27,000 genes, or nearly as many as humans. And despite existing as a single cell, this spcies encodes fantastic complexity and unusual features. For example, it has a primitive immune system that prevents the invasion of foreign DNA. Also, it is able to cordon off its germ cell lineage much as humans do with sperm and eggs. But Tetrahymena does this by having two nuclei within each cell, with one of the nuclei being held in reserve for sex. Basically, this species uses its genome complexity to function like a single celled chameleon, changing its shape and its properties in response to the changing environment. For example, when a new nutrient shows up in its neighborhood this species can build a kit to suck the nutrient in, degrade it, and turn it into cellular biomass quickly. Thus whereas humans use their genomic complexity in part to create a stable environment for the body, this species simply uses a genomic swiss army kit to make do with whatever environment it encounters."
Hot.
> when a new nutrient shows up in its neighborhood this species can build a kit to suck the nutrient in, degrade it,
I like where this is goin'.
> and turn it into cellular biomass quickly.
Giggity giggity goo!
I for one welcome our new single-celled overlords!
No, Mr. Green. Communism is just a red herring.
I always wonder why it was so hard to kill a Garden Gnome. Their single-minded genome is too complex to smash to itty bitty pieces. Maybe I need a bigger hammer...
Was that a deliberate attempt to hijack my thread? :-)
Who said anything about sentience? We're talking about genetic complexity here, not neurological advancement. I think you have the wrong article! Ah, you didn't read it.
A single post chronicling the first sexually successful slashdotter and the creation of the world's smallest slashdotter :')
EPIC! MAN! EPIC!
"this species simply uses a genomic swiss army kit to make do with whatever environment it encounters."
Give it a couple million years of natural selection and you'll get a Phoenix Foundation employee of the month.And people wonder why Bush and ecologists don't get along...
I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
Mark Twain
Come on, it's called "Intelligent" design, not "Frickin' Genius" design. The guy had like six days in which to do it all, of course he had to cut corners. What, do you think he's omniscient and omnipotent or something?
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
Erotic is when you use a feather. Exotic is when you use the whole chicken.
It's like a microscopic MacGuyver . . .
"Something to mention the next time some bozo points to the human eye as proof that we were "designed"."
OR maybe we were not meant to have those abilities. I wouldn't trade my capacity for thought and imagination for awesome eyes... bigger penis maybe, but better eyes, come on...
Because God likes to laugh at crazies just as much as you do. He created you in His own image, remember?
For the same reasons we have golf and target shooting ranges - practice makes perfect...
What part of "a well regulated militia" do you not understand?