<em>C. elegans</em> Egg Cell Inherits dsRNA Molecules from its Parent (VIDEO)
Caption
In this sequence of microscopic images, taken at the University of Maryland, an immature egg cell from the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans gets ready for fertilization. The egg already contains half the DNA needed to create a new worm. But as it picks up nutrients from its parent, the egg also picks up particles of double-stranded RNA -- seen here as small magenta dots.
This marks the first time that scientists have directly observed particles of double-stranded RNA being transferred to a new generation, revealing new details about non-genetic inheritance.
Credit
Antony Jose/University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
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