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A macronucleus (formerly also meganucleus) is the larger type of nucleus in ciliates. [1] Macronuclei are polyploid and undergo direct division without mitosis. It controls the non-reproductive cell functions, such as metabolism. During conjugation, the macronucleus disintegrates, and a new one is formed by karyogamy of the micronuclei.
Macronuclei contain hundreds to thousands of chromosomes, each present in many copies. [2] [3] There is no mechanism to precisely partition this complex genome equally during nuclear division; thus, how the cell manages to maintain a balanced genome after generations of divisions is unknown.
