Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

2.7K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.7K
The Contractile Ring02:15

The Contractile Ring

7.5K
Contractile rings are composed of microfilaments and are responsible for separating the daughter cells during cytokinesis. Contractile ring assembly proceeds along with other cell cycle events; however, very few mechanistic details are known about the timing and coordination of the contractile rings with the cell cycle.
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
7.5K
Cleavage and Blastulation01:33

Cleavage and Blastulation

51.1K
After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
51.1K
Microtubule Instability02:17

Microtubule Instability

6.4K
Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments having a diameter of approximately 25 nm and a length that varies from 200 nm to 25 μm. GTP-bound tubulin subunits form αβ-heterodimers for microtubule assembly. These core building blocks interact longitudinally, polymerizing into protofilaments. The protofilaments then interact with one another through lateral bonding forces to form stable cylindrical microtubules. These cylindrical filaments are dynamic as they undergo repeated...
6.4K
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

4.0K
Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
4.0K
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

5.3K
Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
5.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cell division timing shapes the morphology and size of nascent multicellular organisms.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The fitness costs of reproductive specialization scale inversely with organismal size.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

The limits of information in precise regulation of early multicellular life cycles.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Forecasting Multitrait Resistance Evolution under Antibiotic Stress.

Molecular biology and evolution·2026
Same author

Priority effects inhibit the repeated evolution of phototrophy.

Npj complexity·2026
Same author

Correction: Competition and cooperation: The plasticity of bacterial interactions across environments.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same journal

The microlandscapes of tree trunks: the effect of lichen and tree-level characteristics on arthropod communities.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Centimetre-scale landscapes to assess the motion behaviour and cognition of gastropods and bivalves.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Intertidal microcosms of wave-swept rocky shores: ecological and physiological insights from a uniquely stressful environment.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Temporal and spatial variation in temperature and oxygen at the microscale: key niche axes for aquatic life.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Natural microcosms in ecology: fulfilling the promise of model systems?

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same journal

Microbe-induced galls and plant defence: metabolite crosstalk in a co-evolutionary battle.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Mechanostimulation of Multicellular Organisms Through a High-Throughput Microfluidic Compression System
09:56

Mechanostimulation of Multicellular Organisms Through a High-Throughput Microfluidic Compression System

Published on: December 23, 2022

2.2K

Stabilizing multicellularity through ratcheting.

Eric Libby1, Peter L Conlin2, Ben Kerr2

  • 1Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA elibby@santafe.edu.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|July 20, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolutionary ratchets prevent simple multicellular organisms from reverting to unicellular life. These genetic changes stabilize multicellularity, aiding the evolution of complex life forms.

Keywords:
evolutionmajor transitionmulticellularityratchetingstability

More Related Videos

Generation of Aggregates of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells that Show Symmetry Breaking, Polarization and Emergent Collective Behaviour In Vitro
11:37

Generation of Aggregates of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells that Show Symmetry Breaking, Polarization and Emergent Collective Behaviour In Vitro

Published on: November 24, 2015

18.6K
A Two-Step Strategy that Combines Epigenetic Modification and Biomechanical Cues to Generate Mammalian Pluripotent Cells
08:01

A Two-Step Strategy that Combines Epigenetic Modification and Biomechanical Cues to Generate Mammalian Pluripotent Cells

Published on: August 29, 2020

2.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Mechanostimulation of Multicellular Organisms Through a High-Throughput Microfluidic Compression System
09:56

Mechanostimulation of Multicellular Organisms Through a High-Throughput Microfluidic Compression System

Published on: December 23, 2022

2.2K
Generation of Aggregates of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells that Show Symmetry Breaking, Polarization and Emergent Collective Behaviour In Vitro
11:37

Generation of Aggregates of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells that Show Symmetry Breaking, Polarization and Emergent Collective Behaviour In Vitro

Published on: November 24, 2015

18.6K
A Two-Step Strategy that Combines Epigenetic Modification and Biomechanical Cues to Generate Mammalian Pluripotent Cells
08:01

A Two-Step Strategy that Combines Epigenetic Modification and Biomechanical Cues to Generate Mammalian Pluripotent Cells

Published on: August 29, 2020

2.7K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The transition to multicellularity is a major evolutionary event, likely starting with simple cell groups.
  • Easy transitions between unicellular and multicellular states may hinder the evolution of complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how multicellular adaptations can prevent reversion to unicellularity.
  • To understand the role of evolutionary 'ratchets' in stabilizing multicellularity.

Main Methods:

  • Modeling a nascent multicellular lineage in fluctuating environments.
  • Analyzing two types of ratcheting mutations: those costly to unicellular revertants and those directly reducing reversion probability.

Main Results:

  • Both types of ratcheting mutations stabilize the multicellular state.
  • Synergistic effects were observed where one mutation type creates conditions favoring the other.
  • Ratcheting mutations constrain evolutionary reversion, sustaining selection on multicellular organisms.

Conclusions:

  • Multicellular adaptations act as evolutionary ratchets, stabilizing the multicellular state.
  • These ratchets are crucial for major evolutionary transitions in individuality.
  • Understanding ratcheting mutations provides insight into the evolution of complexity from unicellular ancestors.