Basic knowledge about C.elegans

Model Organism: Worms Scientific Discussion
1

Hi, guys
I just wonder to know
how many cells does the worm (male and hermaphrodite, respectively) have in L1 stage? In which stage does apoptosis go on in the worm?
Is the cell number of every stage(L1~L4 and adult, etc) constant or not?
number of intestine cells?
number of hypodermal cells?
As I know, there are 959 cells in hermaphrodite and 1031 in male worm, respectively. They both have 302 neuron cells. Does the number of neuron cells change during its lifetime? hOW?
If possible, please give me a network link
Thanks for your attention

2

I recommend you read up on the lineage. Some combination of WormBook (all of which is online) and the Cold Spring Harbor Press books The Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and The Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans II (the latter of which is I think online) should answer all of your questions.

By the way, the hermaphrodite and the male do not have the same number of neurons.

3

Then where are the online-address(C. elegans II)please?thanks

4

Using the outrageously cryptic title hint from Hillel: The Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans II

and having mastered counting to 8, one finds;

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19997/

happy Christmas everybody.

Steve

5

It’s actually the first search result in the obvious Google query.

6

damn!

7

Merry Christmas to all!
Can anybody tell me directly the answer to my question? I just want to get the numbers! Thanks
I love you guys

8

You actually need to do the reading as recommended. Cell numbers are not fixed within any larval stage, but vary hour by hour as cells are born or lost.
Also, your definition of a “cell” needs to be better defined, as many hypdermal cells are born and then merge into larger syncytia, some (but not all)
intestinal cells develop multiple nuclei per cell - those were the cell types you mentioned. Counting nuclei would not yield an accurate count of “cells”.
So even within a highly determined animal, the details remain more complicated than the outline of your question. Read what is available, and a clearer
picture will emerge. Then you can begin to formulate questions with firmer answers.

Also, the two sexes do not have the same number of neurons as each other - some neuron classes are sex-specific.

Enjoy your reading and the holiday season.

Dave Hall