Sex and the Single Cell: Biologists Take a Fresh Look at 'Asexual' Amoebas
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - 18:30
in Biology & Nature
Much of what we know about sex, or think we know, stems from the animal kingdom. No surprise there--we're animals and the nuances of the genetic tango are easier to study in organisms larger than infinitesimal blobs.Trouble is, animal sex is specialized to the point of distraction. Most researchers have learned to avoid seeking universal sexual truths by examining animals' twig on the tree of life, but some still rely heavily on single animal models whereas others hawk dated taxonomic ideas without realizing it, says protistologist Frederick Spiegel of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. [More]