Chapter 3, Problem 8RQ

Summary Introduction

To review:

The bacterial cell asymmetry that leads to different structural and functional features of daughter cells and also mention the significance of asymmetry in environmental adaptation and antibiotic therapy.

Introduction:

Cell division is one of the major processes that give rise to copies of the original cell into two or many daughter cells. Through this process, the genetic material is separated into daughter cells in the same amount. The daughter cell consists of the same number of similar chromosomes.

Asymmetric cell division gives rise to two daughter cells and the cellular fate of these daughter cells may vary from one another. Asymmetric cell division indicates intrinsic asymmetric divisions. During this cell division, the stem cell generates one stem cell and one differentiated cell. The daughter cells in asymmetric division receive unequal number of genes during cell division of the mother cell.

Asymmetric cell division gives rise to cellular diversity and regulates the homeostasis of adult tissues. It alters dynamic cell behavior in response to the environmental changes. It leads into the genotypic selection that does not possess heritable allelic changes but consist of a temporary state which is compatible with the altered environment.

The alternator and the accelerator are the two classes of cells that are obtained from the asymmetrical division of the mycobacterial cell. Both of these cells reflect tolerance to different types of antibiotics. This is achieved due to the inheritance of distinct genes for the antibiotic resistance from the stem cell. One cell behaves like a stem and the other reflects a separate behavior.