Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).

Microbial Morphologies

Microbial Morphologies

Bacterial and archaeal cells exhibit remarkable diversity in shape and structure, critical in their adaptability and functionality. Among bacteria, the most commonly observed shapes include cocci and bacilli. Cocci are spherical and may exist singly or in groupings such as pairs (diplococci), chains (streptococci), clusters (staphylococci), or tetrads. Bacilli, in contrast, are rod-shaped and can also occur as single cells, in pairs, or chains, depending on their environmental and genetic...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Symbiotic bacteria produce non-lytic vesicles with nucleic acid cargo.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

A Comparative Survey of Soldier Fly (Stratiomyidae) Larval Gut Microbiomes Across Five Subfamilies Reveals Novel Bacterial Diversity and a "Wild Core" in Hermetia illucens.

Microbial ecology·2026

Same author

Colibactin produced by a honeybee symbiont defends against pathogens and shapes the gut community.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions.

Scientific data·2026

Same author

Estimating global bee species richness and taxonomic gaps.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Engineered gut symbiont targets mite and microsporidian parasites and improves honey bee survival.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Erratum for the Research Article "Assessing the health risks of rice cadmium content standards in China" by H. Chu <i>et al</i>.

Science advances·2026

Same journal

Erratum for the Research Article "Developmental regulation of Erk signaling by mitotic kinases" by F. Chen <i>et al</i>.

Science advances·2026

Same journal

Magnetically levitated metasurface enabling tangible and bidirectional human-machine interaction.

Science advances·2026

Same journal

A general photoinduced manganese-catalyzed platform for the sequential difunctionalization of [1.1.1]propellane.

Science advances·2026

Same journal

Turning sound and force into light with AlN:Mn<sup>2+</sup> mechanoluminescence.

Science advances·2026

Same journal

Extreme dominance of Earth-origin heavy ions in the intense ring current near the Earth during the May 2024 super geomagnetic storm.

Science advances·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle

Published on: October 8, 2021

Dynamic microbiome evolution in social bees.

Waldan K Kwong^1,2, Luis A Medina², Hauke Koch²

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.

Science Advances

|April 25, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The gut bacteria of highly social bees, including honey bees and bumble bees, show dynamic evolution with gains and losses. Sociality in these bees likely facilitated the development of specialized gut microbiomes.

Keywords:

Microbial ecology bumble bees gut microbiota honey bees species-area relationship stingless bees

More Related Videos

Fast Colony Forming Unit Counting in 96-Well Plate Format Applied to the Drosophila Microbiome

Fast Colony Forming Unit Counting in 96-Well Plate Format Applied to the Drosophila Microbiome

Published on: January 13, 2023

Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model

Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model

Published on: August 29, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 3, 2026

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle

Preparing and Rearing Axenic Insects with Tissue Cultured Seedlings for Host-Gut Microbiota Interaction Studies of the Leaf Beetle

Published on: October 8, 2021

Fast Colony Forming Unit Counting in 96-Well Plate Format Applied to the Drosophila Microbiome

Fast Colony Forming Unit Counting in 96-Well Plate Format Applied to the Drosophila Microbiome

Published on: January 13, 2023

Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model

Obtaining Specimens with Slowed, Accelerated and Reversed Aging in the Honey Bee Model

Published on: August 29, 2013

Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Microbiology

Background:

Highly social corbiculate bees (honey bees, bumble bees, stingless bees) are vital pollinators for ecosystems and agriculture.
Their gut microbiota plays a crucial role in their health and function.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolutionary history of the gut microbiota in eusocial corbiculate bees.
To understand the factors shaping bee gut microbial communities, including host sociality and ecology.

Main Methods:

Wide phylogenetic sampling of corbiculate bee species across four continents.
Analysis of gut microbial community composition and structure.

Main Results:

Bee gut communities are distinct between host species, largely independent of geography.
Evidence of multiple gains and losses of gut bacteria throughout bee evolution.
Host ecology, such as colony size, influences microbial community diversification.
Five core bacterial lineages were acquired with the emergence of eusociality in bees.

Conclusions:

The evolution of bee sociality is linked to the development and maintenance of specialized gut microbiomes.
Host-microbe interactions in bees are shaped by a combination of shared heritage and host-specific adaptations.