Scientists Unraveling the Mystery , of How Octopuses Edit Their , Genetic Material.
A new study found that octopuses
are able to edit their genetic material
in order to survive cold temperatures.
'The Independent' reports that octopuses
are able to alter their RNA within
hours of exposure to cold temperatures.
The team's findings were
published in the journal , 'Cell.'.
We could see significant changes in
less than a day, and within four days
they were at the new steady-state levels
that you find them in after a month, Matthew Birk, Marine Biological Laboratory, via 'The Independent'.
While scientists have long known that both squid and
octopuses are able to change their genetics, this is the first
evidence of how rapidly those changes can take place.
According to co-senior author Eli Eisenberg
of Tel-Aviv University, the team found that , “temperature-sensitive editing occurred at about
one-third of our sites – over 20,000 individual places.”.
The team of scientists behind the new study believe
the findings are just "a tip of the iceberg" when
it comes to the sophisticated abilities of octopuses.
The team of scientists behind the new study believe
the findings are just "a tip of the iceberg" when
it comes to the sophisticated abilities of octopuses.
We’re used to thinking all
living things are preprogrammed
from birth with a certain set of instructions, Joshua Rosenthal, Marine Biological Laboratory,
via 'The Independent'.
The idea the environment can influence
that genetic information, as we’ve shown
in cephalopods, is a new concept, Joshua Rosenthal, Marine Biological Laboratory,
via 'The Independent'