Some plants duplicate their DNA to overcome adversity
Monday, August 1, 2011 - 23:00
in Biology & Nature
University of Illinois animal biology professor and department head Ken Paige (right) and doctoral student Daniel Scholes discovered that some plants multiply their chromosomes without undergoing cell division Whatever does not kill a plant may actually make it stronger. After being partially eaten by grazing animals, for example, some plants grow bigger and faster and reproduce more successfully than they otherwise would. In a new study, researchers report that one secret to these plants' post-traumatic triumph lies in their ability to duplicate their chromosomes – again and again – without undergoing cell division.
