Macronucleus

Encyclopedia : M : MA : MAC : Macronucleus

A macronucleus (formerly also meganucleus) is the larger type of nucleus in ciliates. Macronuclei are polyploid and undergo direct division without mitosis. It controls the non-reproductive cell functions such as metabolism. During conjugation, the macronucleus disingtegrates, and a new macronucleus is formed by karyogamy of the micronuclei.

The macronucleus contains hundreds of chromosomes, each present in ~50 copies. The macronucleus lacks a mechanism to precisely partition this complex genome equally during nuclear division; thus how the cell manages to maintain a balanced genome after generations of divisions is a mystery. protozoan nucleus: the larger of two nuclei in most ciliate protozoans, involved in nonreproductive functions such as feeding and metabolism

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