Water Flea Genome is the Most Complex Yet, and May Help Scientists Study Organisms' Response to Stress
Water Flea Daphnia pulex (water flea), a near-microscopic crustacean that lives in ponds and lakes, has a translucent body and a compound eye. Jan Michels, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel A microscopic, see-through water flea is the most complex creature ever studied, genomically speaking. Daphnia pulex is the first crustacean to ever have its genome sequenced, and it turns out it has about 31,000 genes - 25 percent more than we humans. Of all the invertebrate genomes sequenced so far, the water flea shares the most with us, and scientists hope these shared genes can help them understand how humans respond to environmental threats. The water flea, a shrimp relative, makes for an interesting subject because it can transform in response to stresses - it can develop spines, helmets or neck-teeth (really) in response to predator threats, according to scientists who participated in the sequencing project. They believe the vast number of genes is...