Comments on: Zooxanthellae! http://www.jacksofscience.com/biology/zooxanthellae/?&owa_from=feed&owa_sid= Puttin' the Tron in Electron Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:56:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Kieran http://www.jacksofscience.com/biology/zooxanthellae/comment-page-1/#comment-2326 Kieran Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:56:37 +0000 http://www.jacksofscience.com/?p=35#comment-2326 Audrey – The article really wasn't meant to be an exhaustive analysis of zooxanthellae, and hence glossed over some details. It was written for a general audience, based on the paper that I linked to. So, I think it's definitely superficial, but hardly misleading. Also, it is a well established fact that mitochondria were indeed separate organisms at one point in history (see Margulis, the *endosymbiotic* theory). The fact that they are now tightly reliant on each other (indeed many mitochondria genes are now in the nucleus) is secondary to the fact that they are phylogenetically distinct organisms. Audrey –

The article really wasn’t meant to be an exhaustive analysis of zooxanthellae, and hence glossed over some details. It was written for a general audience, based on the paper that I linked to. So, I think it’s definitely superficial, but hardly misleading.

Also, it is a well established fact that mitochondria were indeed separate organisms at one point in history (see Margulis, the *endosymbiotic* theory). The fact that they are now tightly reliant on each other (indeed many mitochondria genes are now in the nucleus) is secondary to the fact that they are phylogenetically distinct organisms.

]]> By: Audrey http://www.jacksofscience.com/biology/zooxanthellae/comment-page-1/#comment-2325 Audrey Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:16:48 +0000 http://www.jacksofscience.com/?p=35#comment-2325 While your article is an intersting approach to understand the coral-zoox relantionship, it is indeed very misleading. First of all the scleractinian corals, cannot indeed survive without the zoox, but this is not true the other way around. Zooxanthellae can be free-living, that's why we can cultivate and grow thousands of them in the lab for our coral experiments. On the other hand, the conclusion tha you are making about the mitochondrial DNA vs the nuclear DNA is even more misleading. The fact that both have separate DNA doesn't mean that they are different organisms, and clearly not that they are in "symbiosis". While your article is an intersting approach to understand the coral-zoox relantionship, it is indeed very misleading. First of all the scleractinian corals, cannot indeed survive without the zoox, but this is not true the other way around. Zooxanthellae can be free-living, that’s why we can cultivate and grow thousands of them in the lab for our coral experiments.
On the other hand, the conclusion tha you are making about the mitochondrial DNA vs the nuclear DNA is even more misleading. The fact that both have separate DNA doesn’t mean that they are different organisms, and clearly not that they are in “symbiosis”.

]]> By: Rebecca Pittman http://www.jacksofscience.com/biology/zooxanthellae/comment-page-1/#comment-2126 Rebecca Pittman Wed, 12 May 2010 15:21:38 +0000 http://www.jacksofscience.com/?p=35#comment-2126 I'm working on a site for students about coral reef preservation and need a pic file of a single zooxanthellae. Is the one on your site subject to copyright? I'd be glad to give credit if I could get permission to use it. I’m working on a site for students about coral reef preservation and need a pic file of a single zooxanthellae. Is the one on your site subject to copyright? I’d be glad to give credit if I could get permission to use it.

]]> By: Giantfishy http://www.jacksofscience.com/biology/zooxanthellae/comment-page-1/#comment-1922 Giantfishy Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:32:18 +0000 http://www.jacksofscience.com/?p=35#comment-1922 Awesome article. It really helped me with research about coral reefs... The only problem now is that everybody around me might be a bit annoyed by me shouting 'ZOOXANTHELLAE!' at irregular intervals whenever it is least relevant to the conversation... :P I didn't know that they were algae... That is so cool :) Awesome article. It really helped me with research about coral reefs…
The only problem now is that everybody around me might be a bit annoyed by me shouting ‘ZOOXANTHELLAE!’ at irregular intervals whenever it is least relevant to the conversation… :P

I didn’t know that they were algae… That is so cool :)

]]> By: Chris http://www.jacksofscience.com/biology/zooxanthellae/comment-page-1/#comment-836 Chris Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:01:18 +0000 http://www.jacksofscience.com/?p=35#comment-836 Great article about a topic that confuses many people!Although I've read about it a ton, and understand how it works, it still boggles my mind. Great article about a topic that confuses many people!Although I’ve read about it a ton, and understand how it works, it still boggles my mind.

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