T. Ryan Gregory
Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases 27: 830-843.
Abstract
Vertebrate genome sizes vary roughly 350-fold, and correlate with a
variety
of cellular and organismal parameters. Most notable among these
is
the relationship between genome size (“C-value”) and red blood cell
(RBC)
size, which can be identified within and among each of the five
vertebrate
classes. This relationship, in turn, leads to important
associations
between genome size and features such as metabolic rate (at least in
homeotherms).
The present article describes the correlation between genome size and
RBC
size in vertebrates, and discusses some of the cytological,
physiological,
and evolutionary implications of this relationship.