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Evolutionary processes have transformed simple cellular life into a great diversity of forms, ranging from the ubiquitous eukaryotic cell design to the more specific cellular forms of spirochetes, cyanobacteria, ciliates, heliozoans, amoeba, and many others. The cellular traits that constitute these forms require an evolutionary explanation. Ultimately, the persistence of a cellular trait depends on its net contribution to fitness, a quantitative measure. Independent of any positive effects, a cellular trait exhibits a baseline energetic cost that needs to be accounted for when quantitatively examining its net fitness effect. Here, we explore how the energetic burden introduced by a cellular trait quantitatively affects cellular fitness, describe methods for determining cell energy budgets, summarize the costs of cellular traits across the tree of life, and examine how the fitness impacts of these energetic costs compare to other evolutionary forces and trait benefits.
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Open questions: how do engineered nanomaterials affect our cells?
Abstract Our cells have evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that battle foreign and toxic materials to maintain cellular homeostasis and viability. How do these cellular machineries respond to engineered nanomaterials?
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- Award ID(s):
- 1805317
- PAR ID:
- 10273996
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- BMC Biology
- Volume:
- 18
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1741-7007
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-020-00922-0
