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Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) plays a crucial role in genetic and microbiological research due to its transparent body, rapid life cycle, and genetic tractability. Its fully sequenced genome and defined developmental stages make it an ideal model organism for studying gene function, developmental biology, and diseases. Groundbreaking discoveries, including the genetic regulation of programmed cell death and the role of the daf-2 gene in ageing, have been made using C. elegans. Methodological innovations like RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 have further advanced research in this field.
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The transparent body of Caenorhabditis elegans allows for direct observation of cellular processes
Rapid Life Cycle
Caenorhabditis elegans has a rapid life cycle, completing its development in about 3 days at 20°C
Fixed Number of Cells
The adult hermaphrodite of Caenorhabditis elegans has a fixed number of 959 somatic cells
Caenorhabditis elegans shares many essential biological characteristics with humans, making it a valuable model organism
The genome of Caenorhabditis elegans is organized into six chromosomes, including five autosomes and one sex chromosome
Number of Base Pairs
The genome of Caenorhabditis elegans contains approximately 100 million base pairs
Protein-Coding Genes
There are approximately 20,000 protein-coding genes in the genome of Caenorhabditis elegans
The well-established genetic and physical maps of Caenorhabditis elegans aid in the identification and manipulation of genes for research purposes
Caenorhabditis elegans undergoes a series of developmental stages, including four larval stages and an adult stage
The life cycle of Caenorhabditis elegans is temperature-dependent, with optimal growth occurring at 20°C
The predictable and rapid life cycle of Caenorhabditis elegans makes it an excellent model for studying developmental biology and the effects of genetic mutations
Genetic Simplicity
The genetic simplicity of Caenorhabditis elegans makes it a powerful model for studying gene function and regulation
Transparent Physiology
The transparent body of Caenorhabditis elegans allows for direct observation of its development and physiology
Differences from Humans
Caenorhabditis elegans lacks certain tissue types found in humans, limiting the direct translation of research findings
Unique Immune System
The unique immune system of Caenorhabditis elegans may limit its use as a model for studying human immune responses
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With a lifecycle that spans just about 3 days at ______, C. elegans progresses from a fertilized egg to an adult.
20°C
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C. elegans genome size in base pairs
Approximately 100 million base pairs
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Number of protein-coding genes in C. elegans
About 20,000 protein-coding genes
