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A macronucleus (formerly also meganucleus) is the larger type of nucleus in ciliates. Macronuclei are polyploid and undergo direct division without mitosis. It controls the non-reproductive cell functions, such as metabolism. During conjugation, the macronucleus disintegrates, and a new one is formed by karyogamy of the micronuclei.
Macronuclei contain hundreds to thousands of chromosomes, each present in many copies. There is no mechanism to precisely partition this complex genome equally during nuclear division; thus, how the cell manages to maintain a balanced genome after generations of divisions is unknown.
See also
References
- Mochizuki K (2010-07-15). "DNA rearrangements directed by non-coding RNAs in ciliates". Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: RNA. 1 (3): 376–87. doi:10.1002/wrna.34. PMC 3746294. PMID 21956937.
- Pevsner J (August 2015). Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-58176-6.
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