--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Timmis and colleagues found that…" description: "\"“Timmis and colleagues found that chloroplast genes are transferred to the nucleus at a rate of about 1 transfer in every 16 000 seeds in the tobacco p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/nick-lane-26984_chloroplast-genes_timmis-and-colleagues-found-that-chlorop_2425146.jpg" --- # Timmis and colleagues found that chloroplast genes are… ![“Timmis and colleagues found that chloroplast genes are transferred to the nucleus at a rate of about 1 transfer in every 16 000 seeds in the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum. This may not sound impressive, but a single tobacco plant produces as many as a million seeds in a single year, which adds…” quote by Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/nick-lane-26984_chloroplast-genes_timmis-and-colleagues-found-that-chlorop_2425146.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/nick-lane-26984_chloroplast-genes_timmis-and-colleagues-found-that-chlorop_2425146.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/nick-lane-26984_chloroplast-genes_timmis-and-colleagues-found-that-chlorop_2425146.jpg) > ““Timmis and colleagues found that chloroplast genes are transferred to the nucleus at a rate of about 1 transfer in every 16 000 seeds in the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum. This may not sound impressive, but a single tobacco plant produces as many as a million seeds in a single year, which adds up to more than 60 seeds in which at least one chloroplast gene has been transferred to the nucleus—in every plant, in every generation.”” [Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chloroplast genes occasionally move to the nucleus, but the rare events accumulate across millions of seeds, showing ongoing genomic integration in plants. **In simple terms:** Rare gene transfers add up over many seeds. Key Takeaway Recognize small genetic changes can have big evolutionary impact. Themes genetics evolution plant biology Mood curious thoughtful Type scientific informative When to use this quote - crop breeding - conservation genetics - evolutionary studies Key Concepts horizontal gene transfer genome evolution Questions to Reflect On - How do rare genetic events shape species over time? - What implications does this have for plant breeding? A Different Perspective The frequency is low per seed, so impact per generation is modest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“establishment. In 1966, the Dutch geologist M. G. 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