Cytoplasmic incompatibility

Pronunciation
/si-tə-plăz-mik in-kom-pə-ti-bil-i-tee/
Category
Reproductive biology
Plural
Cytoplasmic incompatibilities

Definition

A phenomenon where eggs produced by females infected with a particular strain of bacteria (typically Wolbachia) are not successfully fertilized by sperm from males carrying a different strain, resulting in the production of non-viable offspring.

Etymology

From Greek 'cyto-', meaning 'cell', and 'incompatibility', referring to the inability of gametes from different strains to produce viable offspring.

Example

Cytoplasmic incompatibility is a key mechanism used by some insects, like mosquitoes, for regulating population control.

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