Budding

High magnification view of a budding yeast

Budding is the formation of a new organism by the protrusion of part of another organism. This is very common in plants^{[citation needed]} and fungi, but may be found in animal organisms as well, such as the Hydra. Usually, the protrusion stays attached to the primary organism for a while, before becoming free. The new organism is naturally genetically identical to the primary one (a clone). When yeast buds, one cell becomes two cells. When a sponge buds, a part of the parent sponge falls off and starts to grow into a new sponge. These are examples of asexual reproduction.

In virology

Budding is the process by which enveloped viruses acquire their external envelope, often as fragment of the host cell membrane, which bulges outwards and takes the virion inside. Because viruses are not alive^{[citation needed]}, the Gag protein is essential for this process. Some viruses hijack the host cell proteins normally involved in endocytosis to facilitate this process.

This method helps the virus leave the cell without lysing the cell, thereby allowing the cellular machinery to produce more viruses.

In embryology

The term budding is also applied to the process of embryonic differentiation in which new structures are formed by outgrowth from preexisting parts.

In horticulture

Budding is a process that consist of engrafting the bud of a plant into another plant, see Shield budding.

External links

• T or Shield Budding

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia