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Related Concept Videos

Cell Diversity01:13

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The concept of a cell started with microscopic observations of dead cork tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665. Hooke coined the term "cell" based on the resemblance of the small subdivisions in the cork to the rooms that monks inhabited, called cells. About ten years later, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek became the first person to observe the living and moving cells under a microscope. In the century that followed, the theory that cells represented the basic unit of life developed.
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The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
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Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
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Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
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Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
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Selective drivers of simple multicellularity.

Kai Tong1, G Ozan Bozdag2, William C Ratcliff2

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Current Opinion in Microbiology
|March 5, 2022
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Selection favors simple multicellular groups, evolving numerous times across diverse lineages. Understanding these initial steps is crucial for comprehending the evolution of multicellularity and its ecological drivers.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Origins of life
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Multicellularity has evolved independently multiple times across different life forms.
  • The selective pressures driving the initial formation of simple multicellular groups are not fully understood.
  • Diverse ecological contexts may influence the evolution of early multicellularity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically examine the diverse selective drivers of simple multicellularity.
  • To synthesize recent findings from various fields contributing to the understanding of multicellularity's origins.
  • To identify key ecological opportunities for the evolution of simple multicellular groups.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent developments in systematics and comparative biology.
  • Analysis of paleontological evidence for early multicellular life.
  • Integration of findings from synthetic biology, theoretical modeling, and experimental evolution.
  • Identification and categorization of selective drivers based on diverse evidence.

Main Results:

  • Ten distinct selective drivers for the evolution of simple multicellularity have been identified.
  • Ecological opportunities significantly influence the emergence of early multicellular life.
  • The evolution of simple multicellularity is a recurring theme across independent lineages.
  • Diverse research approaches converge on understanding the initial steps toward multicellularity.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the evolution of simple multicellular groups is fundamental to understanding multicellularity itself.
  • Ecological factors play a critical role in promoting the transition to multicellular life.
  • Further research is needed to connect the evolution of simple multicellularity to the subsequent development of complex multicellularity.