• Question: can cells combine

    Asked by 933cesk37 to Paul on 13 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Paul McKeegan

      Paul McKeegan answered on 13 Nov 2017:

      Cool question!
      So the short answer is yes.
      The so obvious we don’t usually think of it example is a sperm and egg cell fusing! We wouldn’t get far without this one!
      However there are some other cells that fuse as part of their normal function, including certain muscle and bone marrow cells. Egg and sperm cells each have a ‘pronucleus’ which has half the normal amount of DNA, so the embryo has a normal nucleus containing the correct amount of DNA after fertilisation. However when other cells fuse they become ‘multinucleated’ as they have a nucleus from each of the original cells. It is an important part of the development of cells like the bone cells called osteoclasts, allowing them to form special structures and shapes to do their jobs.

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