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Digest this

Digest this cellulose, a carbohydrate, is a common constituent of all plants. Despite its widespread prevalence, most animals are unable to directly digest it in their own stomachs, because they lack a key gene to enable them to do so. Now, a study conducted in the uk has found genes that can break down cellulose are far more common among animals than believed. Angus Davison of the University of Nottingham and Mark Blaxter at the University of Edinburgh have jointly identified such genes in several creatures including earthworms, sea urchins, lobsters and bees.

Until now, only a tiny number of animals

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