astronomy-to-zoology:

Long-tailed Pangolin (Manis tetradactyla)

Also known as the black-bellied pangolin or ipi, the long-tailed pangolin is a species of tree-pangolin native to the rain forests of Sub-Saharan Africa. Noted for its extremely long prehensile tail the long-tailed pangolin is primarily arboreal and spends most of its life in the trees, surprisingly it has been also been observed descending from the trees to rivers where they become quite competent swimmers. The long-tailed pangolin’s tail can grow up to twice the pangolin’s body at 30 in and has an astounding 46-7 vertebrae, it is also very strong and can hold the pangolins weight when it is dangling. Unlike other pangolins which are nocturnal the long-tailed pangolin is diurnal and hunts during the day for ant nests located in trees, using its long tongue to flick them into its mouth.

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Mammalia-Pholidata-Manidae-Manis-tetradactyla

Image Source(s)


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Behold: the Damselfly penis.

Damselflies are interesting insects as far as the evolution of sexual reproduction. Males will grip onto females for hours during copulation to “protect” the females from other males. 

Perhaps more interestingly, the damselfly penis has a neat little morphological adaptation visible in the above scanning electron micrograph that allows the male to manually scoop out the sperm of previous males from the female reproductive tract. From an evolutionary perspective, such an adaptation ensures that the successful male’s genes only are passed onto the next generation, improving his reproductive fitness.  

Image Credit: Science Photo Library





frontal-cortex:

Starfish development

Seven successive stages of earlier starfish development, precursors of the juvenile shown above. Increasing in age from left to right and top to bottom. The first three specimens are embryos, and the last three are larvae, with the fourth being transitional between the two. Many tube feet are visible in the oldest specimen (lower right).

Composite image. Reflected light, stereomicroscope. The image is quite incredible looking when viewed in full, IMO.

by Sharon Minsuk





Acacia dealbata (Silver Wattle) pollen grains (40x)

Photo Credit: Dr. Marta Guervos, via Nikon Small World Gallery





Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) depicting a group of Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of anaerobic, gram-negative bacteria.

This pathogenic organism is responsible for causing the illness, Lyme disease, a zoonotic, vector-borne, ailment, transmitted to humans by way of a tick bite.B. burgdorferi belongs to a group of bacteria, called spirochetes, whose appearance resembles a coiled spring.

If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful when used appropriately.

Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping, and integrated pest management. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well.

Courtesy: CDC Public Health Library

(Source: phil.cdc.gov)





Colonies of Mycobacterium vaccae, the bacteria that could make you smarter.

While closely related to the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, mycobacterium vaccae is a non-pathogenic species of bacteria that lives in soil. Studies have confirmed that the bacteria stimulates the production of serotonin and norepinephrine, as well as neurogenesis of neurons producing the aforementioned neurotransmitters.

Mice fed with live M. Vaccae bacteria were able to navigate mazes twice as fast, and with less anxiety behaviors as mice without the bacterial-supplemented diet.

Photo Credit: Laura Rosa Brunet, UCL

(Source: sciencedaily.com)





fuckyeahmolecularbiology:

Mycoplasma genitalium, the owner of the title ‘world’s smallest genome of any living organism’ at a measly 525 genes, made headlines this week as it was replicated by a computer.

Researchers at Stanford University created a computer model of the organism, basing it on over 900 scientific papers. The overall tally of experimentally determined parameters in the model was 1,900; those were split into 28 algorithms, which stepped in for certain biological processes.

Scientists hope that one day biologists can test hypotheses that wouldn’t normally be possible in the real world and expand the digitising technology used on the bacterium into larger creatures. But there’s a whole lot of genes between Mycoplasma genitalium and anything else. 

The paper was originally published in the journal Cell.

Image is of Mycoplasma genitalium.





Agalychnis callidryas, or the “Red-Eyed Tree Frog,” is an arboreal species of frog native to the rainforests of Central America. In this photograph, an individual is pictured in its natural habitat, appearing to use a leaf as a sort of umbrella.

(Source: flickr.com)





Photonic beetle:

Chemists from the University of Utah have discovered that the iridescent green glow of this inch-long Lamprocyphus augustus beetle from Brazil is due to a crystal structure in its scales that is like the crystal structure of diamonds. Such a structure is considered an ideal architecture for the “photonic crystals” that will be needed to manipulate visible light in ultrafast optical computers of the future.

Credit: Jeremy Galusha, Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 

(Source: nsf.gov)





Three-day-old embryos of red-eyed treefrog species Agalychnis callidryas. These embryos have external gills that protrude toward the surface of their eggs, where oxygen is most concentrated. This adaptation allows for high metabolic rates and accelerated development. 

Credit: Karen M. Warkentin, Boston University

(Source: nsf.gov)





An adult female jumping spider (Phiale mimica) waves its front legs to mimic the antennae of a velvet ant, a wingless wasp with a painful sting, as an evolutionary adaptation that deters predators.

Credit: Lisa Taylor, Arizona State University

(Source: nsf.gov)





The “vampire” bacterium Micavibrio aeruginosavorus (yellow), leeched to and sucking nutrients from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium (purple), surrounded by dead P. aeruginosa (gray) cells.

According to research at the University of Virginia, this impressive vampire-like bacteria could serve as a powerful natural antibiotic amidst rapidly evolving drug-resistant bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis. Micavibrio aeruginosavorus is unique in that it can survive entirely on a “diet” of certain bacteria, rather than drawing nutrients from its environment. The bacteria is also “so selective a feeder, it is harmless to the thousands of beneficial bacteria that dwell in the general environment and in the human body.”


Photo Credit: University of Virginia






Dionaea Muscipula, or the Venus Flytrap, is a carnivorous species of plant native to the Carolinas of the United States. The plant has time-sensitive trigger hairs that initiate a mechanical shutting response when stimulated. Glands in the lobes then secrete enzymes and digest the plant’s prey.


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Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicting a Giardia lamblia protozoan undergoing binary fission, creating what appears to be a microscopic “heart.” This flagellated protozoan parasite inhabits and reproduces in the lumen of the small intestine and is responsible for the diarrheal infection giardiasis.

(Source: phil.cdc.gov)





This Polyrhachis armata ant was infected with Ophiocordyceps unilateralis s.l, the fungus that took control of its brain and is seen sprouting from its head. Normally, worker ants that remove and isolate the bodies of dead ants infected prevent the fungus’ life cycle from being completed within the colony. O. unilateralis has come to evolutionarily overcome this limitation by manipulating an infected ant to move to a moist environment conducive to fungal reproduction and growth. The “zombie” ant is forced to bite into the underside of a leaf, its jaw locking into an unreleasable clench. The ant soon dies and the fungus reproduces asexually, spreading its spores to infect ants that come in contact with them.

Credit: David Hughes, Department of Entomology and Biology, Penn State University

(Source: nsf.gov)




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