Scientists hope their theory could one day pave the way for new ways to prevent cancer.
, scientists presented a theory which they say could answer a 50-year question of why sexual reproduction is preferred by 99 percent ofThe scientists argue it could stop what are known as cheater cells, or transmissible cancer cells. Rare transmissible cancers exist in some animals including dogs, Tasmanian devils, and water-dwellingcalled bivalves.
Organisms have evolved to prevent cancers—where cells multiply uncontrollably—with the help of processes such as those run by the immune system.-cellular organisms had to fight internal cheater cells as well as infectious malignant cells from the outside. And as asexual reproduction makes identical organisms, this raises their risk of being invaded by transmissible cancers, the authors think.
Sexual reproduction, meanwhile, lowers the chance of an organism not only catching an infection, but passing it on to their children. Transmissible cancers are also less likely to be compatible with their host's cells if they are made sexually. This could help the immune system pick up and kill nasty invaders.:"The high prevalence of sexual reproduction in the natural world indirectly suggests that the selective forces behind the evolution of sex must be strong and pervasive.
"To our knowledge, this selective scenario for the initial evolution of sex across the tree of life is novel," he argued. "More generally we hope that our perspective will pave the way for exploring the underestimated role ofmulticellular"For instance, if our theory is correct, ancient asexual lineages that have persisted for millions of generations, such as
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