Outside of the germline, C. elegans does not undergo cellular division in the adult stage. There is a fixed developmental pattern, with exactly 959 cells in the adult hermaphrodite. Also, the connectivity map of the entire nervous system is known.
I do believe that this is a permanent showstopper for modeling C. Elegans reproduction, correct?
I would be very curious to hear if there have been any plans to one day re-visit the model to allow reproduction, and if any thought has gone into how that process could be allowed!
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Outside of the germline, C. elegans does not undergo cellular division in the adult stage. There is a fixed developmental pattern, with exactly 959 cells in the adult hermaphrodite. Also, the connectivity map of the entire nervous system is known.
Thanks for clearing that up!
I do believe that this is a permanent showstopper for modeling C. Elegans reproduction, correct?
I would be very curious to hear if there have been any plans to one day re-visit the model to allow reproduction, and if any thought has gone into how that process could be allowed!