Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 14, 2025
12:52
High-Throughput Live Imaging of Microcolonies to Measure Heterogeneity in Growth and Gene Expression
Published on: April 18, 2021
4.9K
Leveraging phylogenetic diversity: Cellular dynamics in non-model organisms.
Sarah L Guest1, Arthur T Molines2
1Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|July 20, 2025
Summary
Researchers are expanding the study of eukaryotic cells beyond common model organisms. Exploring diverse species reveals novel cellular behaviors and dynamics, offering a more complete understanding of cell biology across nature.
Area of Science:
- Eukaryotic cell biology
- Comparative genomics
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Model organisms represent a tiny fraction of eukaryotic diversity.
- Current understanding of cellular mechanisms is limited to a few lineages.
- Many eukaryotic cellular behaviors remain uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight cellular behaviors absent in traditional model organisms.
- To showcase examples from diverse eukaryotic supergroups.
- To emphasize the importance of studying underrepresented eukaryotes.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on non-model eukaryotes.
- Focus on species with quantified dynamic measurements.
- Analysis of examples from TSAR, Haptista, Archaeplastida, Amorphea, and Excavates.
Main Results:
- Identified and described novel cellular behaviors in diverse eukaryotes.
- Provided examples from multicellular and protistan lineages.
- Highlighted the dynamic measurements available for these species.
Conclusions:
- Expanding the range of model organisms is crucial for cell biology.
- Diverse eukaryotes exhibit unique cellular mechanisms and dynamics.
- A broader organismal scope leads to a more comprehensive view of eukaryotic cell capabilities.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Cell Diversity
3.9K
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.
Multicellular...
Multicellular...
3.9K
02:54Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
6.2K
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...
6.2K
01:27Diversity of Protists II
145
Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
145
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
44.1K
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.
44.1K
01:27Diversity of Protists IV
130
Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
130
01:15Diversity of Protists I
134
Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
134