The image shows two protist parasites known as Trypanosoma brucei, which cause Sleeping sickness and cause sleep cycle disorders. It is reported in PNAS that these protists have multiple cytokinesis, that is, that they can carry out cell division in different ways. In the image, you can see one cell (left) dividing from top to bottom while the other (right) dividing from bottom to top. This ability offers evolutionary advantages against possible unwanted genetic mutations, which prevent it from dividing in a particular way.
credit Qing Zhou y Ziyin LiReferences
- Zhou, Q., Gu, J., Lun, Z. R., Ayala, F. J., & Li, Z. (2016). Two distinct cytokinesis pathways drive trypanosome cell division initiation from opposite cell ends. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201601596.