ULTIMATE COMPUTING - Quantum Consciousness Studies

128 Cytoskeleton/Cytocomputer
Figure 5.27: Paramecium mitosis and cytoskeletal “heredity.” Top: a single
paramecium elongates and divides into two daughter cells. The surface of
paramecium are covered with hair-like cilia, each of which is a collective
assembly of microtubule doublets or triplets. Cilia bend cooperatively to propel the
paramecium, and to propel liquid environment past the organisms. All the cilia are
oriented in the same direction, to the left. Second row: Experiments done by
Aufderheide, Frankel and Williams (1977) are illustrated. A segment of cell
membrane and underlying cytoskeleton which anchors cilia is transplanted in
reverse orientation to a sister paramecium. The abnormal cilia orientation persists
in the next generation, and for 100 generations to follow! By Paul Jablonka.