Life Sciences Commons^™

Exploring The Structure And Function Of The Snf1 Kinase Gene In The Slime Mold Dictyostelium Discoideum, Bryan Donald Whitemarsh

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

All organisms must respond to different environmental stresses. For unicellular organisms, the most important source of stress is starvation or nutrient depletion. These microscopic life forms must respond to a constantly changing food supply in which short periods of nutrient availability are interspersed with extended periods of famine. In addition to complete starvation, these organisms are affected by other chemical changes, such as forced switching from a desirable to a less desirable carbon source, and physical changes, such as heat shock. Many microorganisms respond to such stresses by entering a different phase of their life cycle. For example, the budding …