Paratomy Explained

Paratomy is a form of asexual reproduction in animals where the organism splits in a plane perpendicular to the antero-posterior axis and the split is preceded by the "pregeneration" of the anterior structures in the posterior portion. The developing organisms have their body axis aligned, i.e., they develop in a head to tail fashion.

Budding can be considered to be similar to paratomy except that the body axes need not be aligned: the new head may grow toward the side or even point backward (e.g. Convolutriloba retrogemma an acoel flat worm).[1] [2] In animals that undergo fast paratomy a chain of zooids packed in a head to tail formation may develop. Many oligochaete annelids,[3] acoelous turbellarians,[1] echinoderm larvae[4] and coelenterates[5] reproduce by this method.

External resources

This paper has a detailed description of the changes during paratomy.[3]

Notes and References

  1. 10.1046/j.1463-6395.2001.00084.x. 1463-6395. 82. 3. 231–239. Åkesson. Bertil. Robert Gschwentner. Jan Hendelberg. Peter Ladurner. Johann Müller. Reinhard Rieger. Fission in Convolutriloba longifissura: asexual reproduction in acoelous turbellarians revisited. Acta Zoologica. 2011-07-13. 2001-12-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304105428/http://homepage.uibk.ac.at/~c719135/pdf/Akesson-Gschwentner-2001.pdf. 2016-03-04. dead.
  2. 10.1002/bdrc.20135. 19067421. 1542-9768. 84. 4. 257–264. Egger. Bernhard. Regeneration: rewarding, but potentially risky. Birth Defects Research Part C: Embryo Today: Reviews. 2011-07-13. December 2008.
  3. 10.2307/1538737. 14791418. 0006-3185. 99. 2. 173–180. Herlant-Meewis. Henriette. Cyst-Formation in Aeolosoma Hemprichi (Ehr). Biological Bulletin. 1950-10-01. 1538737.
  4. 10.2307/1542036. 0006-3185. 186. 1. 62–71. Jaeckle. William B.. Multiple Modes of Asexual Reproduction by Tropical and Subtropical Sea Star Larvae: An Unusual Adaptation for Genet Dispersal and Survival. Biological Bulletin. 1994-02-01. 1542036. 29283296.
  5. 10.2307/3283338. 7905920. 0022-3395. 80. 1. 1–22. Raikova. Ekaterina V.. Life Cycle, Cytology, and Morphology of Polypodium hydriforme, a Coelenterate Parasite of the Eggs of Acipenseriform Fishes. The Journal of Parasitology. 1994-02-01. 3283338.

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