PDA

View Full Version : Parthogenesis: When Sex Isn't Feasible



Tesla_WTC_Solution
29th September 2014, 18:19
Most of us remember asking our parents, "Where do babies come from?" Some of us are even old enough to remember being asked this question by a member of a more recent generation.

Lots of us came across Greek literature in high school, too. And boy, wasn't some of it confusing? Wild tales of golden showers and cross-species impregnation adorn an otherwise boring account of a HoHum Human civilization. In fact, the pursuits of the gods were as racy as anything aired on afternoon TV.

I guess what kickstarted this thread is Yahoo!s fault again. They had an article on 10 species who are built to last, i.e. "indestructible" or "immortal" species on earth. Some were special because they don't age as we do. Others were interesting because they are capable of stealing DNA from other organisms just like something from Warhammer 40k.

But when I read the Wikipedia on Parthogenesis I thought some of you PA people would enjoy knowing about this stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bdelloidea


Parthenogenesis /ˌpɑrθənoʊˈdʒɛnəsɨs/ is a form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization. In animals, parthenogenesis means development of an embryo from an unfertilized egg cell and is a component process of apomixis.

Gynogenesis and pseudogamy are closely related phenomena in which a sperm or pollen triggers the development of the egg cell into an embryo but makes no genetic contribution to the embryo. The rest of the cytology and genetics of these phenomena are mostly identical to that of parthenogenesis.

The word parthenogenesis comes from the Greek παρθένος, parthenos, meaning "virgin" and γένεσις, genesis, meaning "birth".[1] The term is sometimes used inaccurately to describe reproduction modes in hermaphroditic species that can reproduce by themselves because they contain reproductive organs of both sexes in a single individual's body.


Bdelloidea /ˈdɛlɔɪdiə/ (Greek βδελλα, bdella, "leech-like") is a class of rotifers found in freshwater habitats all over the world. There are over 450 described species of bdelloid rotifers (or 'bdelloids'), distinguished from each other mainly on the basis of morphology.[1] The main characteristics that distinguish bdelloids from related groups of rotifers are exclusively parthenogenetic reproduction and the ability to survive in dry, harsh environments by entering a state of desiccation-induced dormancy (anhydrobiosis) at any life stage.[2] Bdelloid rotifers are microscopic organisms, typically between 150 and 700 µm in length.[2] They are slightly too small to be seen with the naked eye, but appear as small white dots through even a weak hand lens.


I guess a lot of people have wondered about the so-called immaculate conception, what the precise details of that exchange might have been.

Thanks to the diversity of nature and life on earth, the closer we look at these questions, the harder they become.


Also I ask, since Sexuality is obviously a trait that comes and goes and is not necessarily crucial to the survival of the species, what do you guys and girls think about that?

It's hard not to be defined by others due to your sexual appearance, but do you let sexuality define "your self"?

:)

Hi @ Samwisegamgee lol

p.p.s. how might paRthogenesis affect human space exploration in the future?

edit fixed typo, from path to parth lol (we're in southern wa after all)

chocolate
30th September 2014, 06:04
Edited:
Sorry, this is the wrong thread

Frederick Jackson
30th September 2014, 06:37
The problem with the "immaculate conception" by parthogenesis is that it will only produce a female clone, yes?

Tesla_WTC_Solution
3rd October 2014, 18:35
The problem with the "immaculate conception" by parthogenesis is that it will only produce a female clone, yes?

I think that a species or subspecies capable of this form of reproduction should have its own sexual designation. :P
"ONLY a female clone".

No, actually -- depending on how this is done, it go do anything from triggering cloning to actually taking in DNA from another source.

I.e. replacing only what is broken.

It's possible to combine foreign DNA with the mechanism of a sperm btw, triggering cell division but not necessarily traditional development...

The possibilities are pretty strange. Anyone with a freezer could experiment with this. lol