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Some plants have unusual genetics, which can help them weather cataclysmic events

NPR·Ari Daniel·18 days ago
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Unlike humans, many plants have more than two sets of chromosomes. This trait may help them adapt to environmental upheaval, such as climate change. SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST: When Earth faces its next cataclysm, some plants appear to have a time-tested strategy to survive. Science reporter Ari Daniel has our story. ARI DANIEL, BYLINE: Most people have two sets of chromosomes, one set from each parent, whereas... YVES VAN DE PEER: Strawberries, for example, they have eight sets of chromosomes. DANIEL: Yves Van de Peer is a plant biologist at Ghent University in Belgium. This phenomenon is called polyploidy, where an organism has more than two sets of chromosomes stuffed into every cell - in other words, a whole genome duplication. And it's pretty common actually, especially in plants. VAN DE PEER: It's a mutational event. You end up basically with a new cell with twice the amount of DNA than the normal plant cell (ph).…

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