Date of Award
Spring 5-15-2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Biology
College
College of Science
First Advisor
Michael Pierce
Abstract/Description
A comparative study of Doubly Uniparental Inheritance (DUI) in the bivalve mollusks Mytilus edulis and Geukensia demissa has yielded unanticipated results. Around the world, it has been reported that members of the taxonomic family Mytilidae (along with the families of Unionidae and Veneridae) consistently exhibit DUI. However, the hard-to-place Geukensia demissa, which is a member of this family, has had varying reports of its DUI status. Most reports involving G. demissa vary with the location in which it is being studied, which prompts more questions than it answers. Due to many months of unsuccessful DNA purification attempts, sequencing and an actual determination and subsequent comparison of DUI within these two species failed to occur. What successfully occurred in this study was the inducement of reproduction in Geukensia demissa in tanks in a laboratory, and a successful purification of DNA from G. demissa followed by amplification of mtDNA using species-specific primers.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Heishman, Sarah, "Mitochondrial DNA Inheritance in Bivalves: A Comparative Study Involving the Unique System of Doubly Uniparental Inheritance" (2011). Honors Theses. 123.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/honors-theses/123