Hermit crabs have the most chromosomes of any animal, with 254. Chromosomes carry genetic information in the form of DNA. Genes located on autosomes determine the inheritance of physical traits. Sex ...

Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine have discovered that if animal cells gain an extra set of chromosomes, a condition known as polyploidy, they activate a stress signaling pathway ...

The Atlas blue butterfly, also known as Polyommatus atlantica, has been genetically confirmed as having the highest number of chromosomes out of all multicellular animals in the world. This insect ...

Polyploid cells (green, indicated with arrows) migrate into the surrounding tissue of a fruit fly larva. Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine have discovered that if animal cells gain ...

A human, an octopus, and a coral could hardly look more different — yet deep inside their cells, their chromosomes still carry recognizable pieces of a genome inherited from an animal ancestor that ...

Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work covers anything from archaeology and the environment to technology and culture. Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work ...

Scientists have sequenced the genome of the Atlas blue butterfly for the first time and confirmed it holds the highest chromosome number among multicellular animals. The butterfly lives in the ...

Sex is determined in a variety of different ways throughout the animal kingdom. In mammals, it is determined genetically, not by temperature, as it can be in reptiles. Typically, females have two X ...

When plants end up with the wrong number of chromosomes, the consequences are usually dire. Cells starved of, or overloaded ...

A hallmark of cancerous cells is an abnormal number of chromosomes or chromosome arms, known as aneuploidy. While aneuploidy is detrimental to regular cells, it occurs in as many as 90% of tumors. How ...