n., pl., -cle·i (-klē-ī').
The larger of two nuclei present in ciliate protozoans, which controls nonreproductive functions of the cell, such as metabolism.
macronuclear mac'ro·nu'cle·ar adj.
macronucleus
Dictionary:
mac·ro·nu·cle·us (măk'rō-nū'klē-əs, -nyū'-)  |
| 5min Related Video: macronucleus |
| Medical Dictionary: mac·ro·nu·cle·us |
(măk'rō-nū'klē-əs, -nyū'-)
n.
n.
The larger of two nuclei present in ciliate protozoans, which controls the nonreproductive functions of the cell.
mac'ro·nu'cle·ar adj.| Veterinary Dictionary: macronucleus |
The larger nucleus when there are two in the cell.
| Wikipedia: 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, the everyday tasks, such as metabolism. During conjugation, the macronucleus disintegrates, 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.
See also
 |
This protist-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Learn More
 | macro– (prefix) |
| Ciliophora (protozoa) |
| paramecium (protozoa) |
Help us answer these
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
 |
 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Read more |
 |
| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Macronucleus". Read more |
Related answers
- Macronucleus and micronucleus in paramecium?
- What are the functions of macronucleus and micronucleus?
ADVERTISEMENT
Answer these
- What is the function of macronucleus?
- What do the macronucleus and micronucleus do?
- What are the Function and description of macronucleus?
Mentioned in
- macro– (prefix)
- Ciliophora (protozoa)
- paramecium (protozoa)
- Ciliophora (protozoa)
