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Aging

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Book cover Paramecium

Abstract

Is Paramecium mortal or immortal? This had been controversial for decades around the turn of the century (for review, see Wichterman 1953). Maupas, Hertwig, Calkins, and Jennings were those who claimed that Paramecium had a life cycle with a definite potential for cell divisions and thus clonal death would be inevitable unless clones were rejuvenated by means of conjugation. However, the hypothesis of clonal immortality appeared unambiguous. Theoretically, protozoan cells should consist of immortal germ plasm according to Weismann’s germ plasm theory. Experimentally, Woodruff, for example, presented data to show that P. biaurelia had indefinite division potential. Also, the data showing clonal death may be ascribable to poor techniques or inadequate culture medium.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Nara Women’s University, Nara, 630, Japan

    Yoshiomi Takagi

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  1. Yoshiomi Takagi
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologisches Institut der Universität Münster, Schloßplatz 5, 4400, Münster, Germany

    Hans-Dieter Görtz

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Takagi, Y. (1988). Aging. In: Görtz, HD. (eds) Paramecium. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73086-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73086-3_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73088-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-73086-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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