Caption: A microscopic view of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a hermaphroditic nematode. Although capable of self-fertilization, C. elegans hermaphrodites keep males on hand because sex, it seems, confers a developmental advantage for survival. New work from the lab of Elizabeth Goodwin, UW-Madison professor of genetics, published in the Nov. 7, 2003 Science shows that C. elegans progeny derived from sexual reproduction can undergo sex change after birth to better survive chemical changes in the environment and shortages of food.
Photo: courtesy Elizabeth Goodwin
Date: 2003
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