14 DAY TRIAL // Many times people complain that it's difficult to maintain a relationship and prefer not to get involved. But humans are not the only ones facing these difficulties. It seems that microbes share the same faith.
A McMaster University researcher found that sex exacts on microbes the same physical, morphological and behavioral stress as that experienced by humans.
Using a fungus that has two sexes, A and Alpha, Jianping Xu established three populations: A microbes (females), Alpha microbes (males), and a combination of the two. When left to re-produce on their own, the first two groups of microbes performed efficiently and prolifically. The microbe couples, however, were slower to reproduce.
But the more interesting part is that he found evidence of fluffing and flirting when mixed pairs slide into a petri dish, the results being detrimental to their fitness.
Jianping Xu describes the microbes' sexual reproduction and the effort involved in the sexual intercourse between males and females.
"There was always an assumption that microbes reproduce asexually, but they are actually asexual and sexual. We noticed that mating stunted their asexual reproduction because each partner spent more time attracting the other than nourishing its own growth. Transmitting mating signals costs both partners: one partner uses up materials and energy to produce and transmit the signal, and the other partner gets distracted by the mating signal and loses interest in reproducing on its own," Xu says
But just like it happens with humans, sexual reproduction has its benefits.
"In many microbes, mating and sexual reproduction produce genetically diverse and hardy progeny better able to withstand environmental changes, inhospitable conditions, lack of water, extreme temperatures and fewer nutrients," the researcher explains.