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Related Concept Videos

Cell Size01:22

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Cell sizes vary widely among and within organisms. Bacterial cells range between 1-10 micrometers (μm)and are considerably smaller than most eukaryotic cells. The smallest bacteria are 0.1 μm in diameter—about a thousand times smaller than eukaryotic cells, which typically range from 10-100 μm.
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Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

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While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
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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...
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The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
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Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

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Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
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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,...
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Genome size drives morphological evolution in organ-specific ways.

Michael W Itgen1, Giovanna R Natalie2, Dustin S Siegel3

  • 1Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA.

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Summary

Large genome size in Plethodon salamanders alters heart and liver structure, affecting organ development and potentially influencing evolution. These changes impact tissue geometry and vascularization, despite low metabolic rates potentially mitigating functional consequences.

Keywords:
Cell sizecomparative methodsevolutionary developmenthistologymicroCTsalamanders

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Comparative Anatomy

Background:

  • Morphogenesis arises from complex cellular and biochemical interactions during development.
  • Genome size and cell size are known to influence developmental rates and tissue geometry, impacting organismal morphology.
  • Understanding the relationship between genome size and organ structure is crucial for evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between genome size, body size, and morphological variation in the heart and liver of Plethodon salamanders.
  • To determine how evolutionary increases in genome size affect tissue structure in key organs.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of heart and liver morphology across nine Plethodon species with varying genome sizes (29-67 gigabases).
  • Examination of tissue structure, including myocardial mass, intertrabecular space, and vascularization patterns.

Main Results:

  • Organ size was primarily determined by body size.
  • Increased genome size correlated with significant tissue structural changes in both heart and liver.
  • Heart ventricles showed reduced myocardial mass and increased intertrabecular space with larger genomes.
  • Livers exhibited fewer, larger vascular structures, increasing distance between hepatocytes and vessels with larger genomes.

Conclusions:

  • Evolutionary increases in genome and cell size significantly influence heart and liver morphogenesis in Plethodon salamanders.
  • These structural modifications, while impacting organ architecture, may have negligible effects on organismal performance due to the relaxed selective pressures from low metabolic rates in salamanders.
  • The study highlights the role of genome size in shaping developmental systems and evolutionary morphology.