When two organisms live together so closely that they merge into a functional unit, this is known as symbiosis. In the "1+1=1" project, an international, interdisciplinary research team is ...

Ciliate protozoa possess the remarkable ability to reproduce through both asexual and sexual means. Their distinctive sexual process involves conjugation and autogamy, and they wield a secret weapon: ...

Considered as an obsolete theory for many years, the transmission of acquired traits has returned to the forefront of debate thanks to the development of epigenetic research. In this context, a team ...

Ciliates are unique among unicellular organisms in that they separate germline and somatic functions 1. Each cell harbours two kinds of nucleus, namely silent diploid micronuclei and highly polyploid ...

How a smaller microbe, Didinium, can take down a Paramecium.

Scientists in Japan have just released fantastic new video showing the workings of the brain of a fish as it ponders the finer points of a paramecium dinner. How will these new techniques lead to ...

Few organisms rank lower in life than the gelatinous, pond-dwelling paramecium. It consists of one cell, two orifices, and thousands of hairy feet that project from its surface like beard stubble. Yet ...

The mating process is one of the most important mechanisms for maintaining genetic variation in natural populations. The emergence of sexual reproduction turned out to be the most important ...