endomixis
/ˌɛndoʊˈmɪksɪs/
noun
- A process in some single-celled organisms, such as paramecia, where the nucleus reorganizes internally without cell division or exchange of genetic material with another cell.
- In paramecia, endomixis helps renew the cell's genetic material without mating.
- Endomixis is one way that some microorganisms maintain genetic stability.
- Scientists observed endomixis in a laboratory culture of protozoa.