I'm trying to figure out how yeast, and perhaps other single celled organisms evolve. Meiosis involves the production of at least 4 gametes per parent, which are cells themselves. It therefore seems impossible for single celled organisms to reproduce sexually.
If sexual reproduction is indeed impossible in single celled organisms, how do they evolve?
If sexual reproduction is indeed impossible for yeast, would this imply that "generations" of a yeast culture in a given fermentation are infact simply clones of the parent strain, produced via mitosis? If so, why do recycled yeast cultures yield different flavors from one batch to the next?
Thank you for the insight.
If sexual reproduction is indeed impossible in single celled organisms, how do they evolve?
If sexual reproduction is indeed impossible for yeast, would this imply that "generations" of a yeast culture in a given fermentation are infact simply clones of the parent strain, produced via mitosis? If so, why do recycled yeast cultures yield different flavors from one batch to the next?
Thank you for the insight.