About Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) Project:
- It aims to sequence the genomes of 70,000 species of eukaryotic organisms in Britain and Ireland.
- It is one of several initiatives across the globe working towards the ultimate goal of sequencing all complex life on Earth, in a venture known as the Earth BioGenome Project.
- It will carefully collect representatives of each species, use advanced DNA sequencing technologies to generate high quality genome sequences.
- It also uses cutting edge computational tools to understand how the DNA sequence translates into the diversity of life.
- It is a collaborative project between ten biodiversity, genomics and analysis partners.
What are Eukaryotes?
- Eukaryotic cells are found in multi-cellular organisms such as protists, plants, animals, and fungi. They are more complex as compared to prokaryotic cells.
- These are any cell or organism that possesses a clearly defined nucleus.
- The eukaryotic cell has a nuclear membrane that surrounds the nucleus, in which the well-defined chromosomes are located.
- Eukaryotic cells also contain organelles, including mitochondria (cellular energy exchangers), a Golgi apparatus.
- Reproduction: Eukaryotes can reproduce asexually through mitosis and sexually through meiosis and gamete fusion.
