Micronucleus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A micronucleus is the smaller nucleus in ciliate protozoans. In fission it divides by mitosis, and in conjugation furnishes the pairing of gamete nuclei, by whose reciprocal fusion a zygote nucleus is formed, which gives rise to the macronuclei and micronuclei of the individuals of the next cycle of fission.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.