Biology 2581B Lecture Notes - Chromophore, Genetic Engineering, Algae
25 Aug 2013
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Document Summary
Elysia chlorotica is a marine slug that captures chloroplasts through its heavy diet of the vaucheria alga. These symbiotic chloroplasts are actually translationally active and functional genes from ingested chloroplasts have been transferred to the slug"s nuclear genome. The symbiotic chloroplasts residing in the host molluscan cell are maintained by an interaction of both organellar and host biochemistry directed by the presence of transferred genes. Trypanosomes are group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa that often require transmission via a vector in order to live in mammals, insects, etc. They live in more than one host species over their life cycle are often transferred from the saliva glands of carrier insects such as mosquitos into the bloodstream of mammals. Trypanosomes are important as they represent a natural mechanism of transferring genetic material between organisms. These parasites have very interesting mitochondrial genomes that are very dense and shaped like hockey pucks.
