Practice question

Neurospora crassa, orange bread mold, became foundational model in biochemical genetics following classic experiments by Beadle and Tatum establishing one-gene-one-enzyme hypothesis that genes control enzymatic steps. Haploid vegetative mycelium allows immediate phenotypic expression of recessive mutations, growth on defined minimal medium containing sucrose, salts and biotin permits auxotroph selection after mutagenesis. Ordered linear arrangement of eight ascospores within ascus enables tetrad analysis tracking recombination events. Rapid asexual conidiation, seven sequenced chromosomes and circadian conidiation rhythms facilitate metabolic pathway dissection and developmental genetics studies.