Are amoebas (amoebae?) immortal?

[Nithin]

As far as I know, amoebae can reproduce only by cell division. So both the 'mother' and 'daughter' are the same age right? So all amoebae living today must be millions of years old. And some of them will never die?

 

[Eli]

Huh.

Obviously the older of the split cells is going to die first.

 

[crisp82]

nice theory, but they will die eventually.

 

[Eli]

Think about it.

Daughter cell is not the same age as mother cell, it was just formed. Just because they're single celled doesen't mean they can't have "babies". 😛

Mother cell will die, and daughter cell will split..

They probably split more than that before dying, but you get the general idea.

 

[Bulk Beef]

There can be only one.

 

[StageLeft]

I kill amoeba for fun.

 

[MegaloManiaK]

Originally posted by: Eli
Think about it.

Daughter cell is not the same age as mother cell, it was just formed. Just because they're single celled doesen't mean they can't have "babies". 😛

Mother cell will die, and daughter cell will split..

They probably split more than that before dying, but you get the general idea.

I think he is trying to say that since they reproduce by making exact copies of themselves, the the new cell is identicle to the original. When the original dies it is lived on by an exact copy of itself which continues to do the same. Basicly that the 100th generation split produces an exact copy of the 1st generation cell.

But i havne't taken, nor do i plan on taking, bio so don't be cruel if im wrong.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK

Originally posted by: Eli
Think about it.

Daughter cell is not the same age as mother cell, it was just formed. Just because they're single celled doesen't mean they can't have "babies". 😛

Mother cell will die, and daughter cell will split..

They probably split more than that before dying, but you get the general idea.

I think he is trying to say that since they reproduce by making exact copies of themselves, the the new cell is identicle to the original. When the original dies it is lived on by an exact copy of itself which continues to do the same. Basicly that the 100th generation split produces an exact copy of the 1st generation cell.

But i haven't taken, nor do i plan on taking, bio so don't be cruel if im wrong.

Yeah. I kinda figured that's what he was saying.

And he's probably pretty much correct.. although I'm sure mutations happen somehow.. they must.

 

[Ketteringo]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I kill amoeba for fun.

Kittens too 😉

*not the bad way, well, not the way take makes you go to hell, err, hrmm, well, not the inhumane way.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK

Originally posted by: Eli
Think about it.

Daughter cell is not the same age as mother cell, it was just formed. Just because they're single celled doesen't mean they can't have "babies". 😛

Mother cell will die, and daughter cell will split..

They probably split more than that before dying, but you get the general idea.

I think he is trying to say that since they reproduce by making exact copies of themselves, the the new cell is identicle to the original. When the original dies it is lived on by an exact copy of itself which continues to do the same. Basicly that the 100th generation split produces an exact copy of the 1st generation cell.

But i haven't taken, nor do i plan on taking, bio so don't be cruel if im wrong.

Yeah. I kinda figured that's what he was saying.

And he's probably pretty much correct.. although I'm sure mutations happen somehow.. they must.

Yeah I think he'd be right except for the chance mutations.

 

[SagaLore]

Using that reasoning, we are either A. as old as the first living organism or B. as old as Adam and Eve. Either way, that's pretty old. 😉