Rotifers - Just add water!
These organisms can experience the harshest conditions, yet amazingly still come back to life by just adding water; and they have many other interesting features as well!
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7. Clever-Bastard commented 14 years ago
#(removed comment) said "I am thinking..."
Hold it right there USADumber1.
Unbelievable! ROFLMFAO
Hold it right there USADumber1.
Unbelievable! ROFLMFAO
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8. Baboon commented 14 years ago
if you have a tiny penis, pour water on it it will revive
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9. firest4rter commented 14 years ago
very interesting. the tiniest organism on the earth is probably the toughest out there
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10. Voutelamberopipi commented 14 years ago
#8 tks for the tip... you know, just the tip
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13. Clever-Bastard commented 14 years ago
I don't collect achievements.
I'll leave that to witless idiots such as yourself.
Your achievements page looks very impressive. ROFLMFAO
I'll leave that to witless idiots such as yourself.
Your achievements page looks very impressive. ROFLMFAO
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17. TheIsingGuy commented 14 years ago
can they survive my hammer
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18. Thanny commented 14 years ago
The really interesting thing about Bdelloid Rotifers is that they are asexual, and have been for millions of years.
Normally, when a species drops sex, it goes extinct after a short while, for a number of reasons centered on a lack of genetic diversity.
It seems the rotifers escape this fate much like bacteria do - taking genes from the environment to try on for size.
I've seen elsewhere, too, that their little drying-up trick helps them combat a particularly pernicious fungus. After a couple weeks without water, the rotifers remain viable, but the fungus dies completely. Without that trick, the fungus is almost 100% fatal.
Normally, when a species drops sex, it goes extinct after a short while, for a number of reasons centered on a lack of genetic diversity.
It seems the rotifers escape this fate much like bacteria do - taking genes from the environment to try on for size.
I've seen elsewhere, too, that their little drying-up trick helps them combat a particularly pernicious fungus. After a couple weeks without water, the rotifers remain viable, but the fungus dies completely. Without that trick, the fungus is almost 100% fatal.
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20. irishgek commented 14 years ago
http://www.reed-store.com/shop.cfm/Rotifer-Products/Rotifers-Live-and-Concentrate/
Just for you #3 buy some and try it
Just for you #3 buy some and try it
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22. TarasFromLviv commented 14 years ago
So, let's add water to dinosaur bones!
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23. banzemanga commented 14 years ago
Ok, now let's go to Egipt and add water to those dried mummies and call the back to live!
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26. c0mmanderKeen commented 14 years ago
and this is why I study biology
#(removed comment) Really too generalized. Also the theory you mention doesnt really make sense since the eldest organisms are unlikely to even have posessed DNA but only RNA. The permanent version came later. Also, things like DNA splicing werent there at start either.
The human genome relies a lot on splicing to produce the very diverse proteins. A microorgansism has hardly any introns and therefore needs no splicing. Those on off swithces you mention are there, but its really not that simple
#(removed comment) Really too generalized. Also the theory you mention doesnt really make sense since the eldest organisms are unlikely to even have posessed DNA but only RNA. The permanent version came later. Also, things like DNA splicing werent there at start either.
The human genome relies a lot on splicing to produce the very diverse proteins. A microorgansism has hardly any introns and therefore needs no splicing. Those on off swithces you mention are there, but its really not that simple
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27. michael022 commented 14 years ago
this is really cool.
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28. willem57 commented 14 years ago
Why is NASA trying so hard to find water on Mars? If they can, why not send a rocket with those ( dead looking ) organisms to Mars? Put them on the Mars surface in an enclosed area, and look for any sings of life. However if I can come up with this, the scientists of NASA probably already outdated this idea.
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29. antifolklore commented 14 years ago
@Thanny #18
Lack of reproduction would be true for many larger species.
Most species on earth evolved from Asexual RNA strings and thus gained sex rather then losing it.
Lack of reproduction would be true for many larger species.
Most species on earth evolved from Asexual RNA strings and thus gained sex rather then losing it.
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30. loadrunner commented 12 years ago
Let's put those on a rock, and send them to outer space, wait for them to grow into an intellegent life form capable to send messages into space.
+32 1. Emuyen commented 14 years ago