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Oni2:Slaves of War/Neo-Biology: Difference between revisions
Oni2:Slaves of War/Neo-Biology (view source)
Revision as of 21:57, 11 October 2011
, 11 October 2011adding parasites and section for Daodan
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*Plants with Eyes. Just watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc_Y1IXVSig. As far as I can tell, this was produced for a television show as a sort of throw-away tease segment, but it really stands on its own as a bizarre and super-realistic visualization of the very kind of stuff we might encounter in plants from another world, or plants that were more active than ours. Apparently they started with live-action footage of real plants, and then dressed them up with CG, but the results are surprisingly effective. Then again, some of our real-life plants are pretty impressive too, as seen below. | *Plants with Eyes. Just watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc_Y1IXVSig. As far as I can tell, this was produced for a television show as a sort of throw-away tease segment, but it really stands on its own as a bizarre and super-realistic visualization of the very kind of stuff we might encounter in plants from another world, or plants that were more active than ours. Apparently they started with live-action footage of real plants, and then dressed them up with CG, but the results are surprisingly effective. Then again, some of our real-life plants are pretty impressive too, as seen below. | ||
==Awesome Real | ==Awesome Real Plants== | ||
"On and on it goes. It seems the more you learn, the less and less and less and less and less you know." -- Apollo Sunshine, "The Egg" | "On and on it goes. It seems the more you learn, the less and less and less and less and less you know." -- Apollo Sunshine, "The Egg" | ||
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Plants are supposed to be autotrophic, meaning that they manufacture their own food (unlike animals). The key to autotrophism is photosynthesis. However, some plants have decided to take a detour off of Photosynthesis Road and into Parasite Alley. They use a special root known as a [[wikipedia:haustorium|haustorium]]. Rather than pulling nutrients from the ground, this root pulls nutrients directly from another plant. It works by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hyaloperonospora-parasitica-hyphae-haustoria.jpg winding into the host plant's cellular structure] and sucking on cytoplasm. Eventually they can expand from inside of the host, replacing it with the parasite's body. Haustoria are traditionally used by fungi like mildew, putting parasitic plants in a strange middle ground between their autotrophic brethren and the separate Kingdom Fungi. | Plants are supposed to be autotrophic, meaning that they manufacture their own food (unlike animals). The key to autotrophism is photosynthesis. However, some plants have decided to take a detour off of Photosynthesis Road and into Parasite Alley. They use a special root known as a [[wikipedia:haustorium|haustorium]]. Rather than pulling nutrients from the ground, this root pulls nutrients directly from another plant. It works by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hyaloperonospora-parasitica-hyphae-haustoria.jpg winding into the host plant's cellular structure] and sucking on cytoplasm. Eventually they can expand from inside of the host, replacing it with the parasite's body. Haustoria are traditionally used by fungi like mildew, putting parasitic plants in a strange middle ground between their autotrophic brethren and the separate Kingdom Fungi. | ||
==Other | ==Other parasites== | ||
:Dropping these terms here for now: [[wikipedia:Host_(biology)#Host_range|host range]], [[wikipedia:Okazaki_fragments|Okazaki fragments]], [[wikipedia:Mobilome|mobilome]]. | Parasitic behavior may be relevant to the workings of the Daodan or the Wilderness. Let's take a broader look at this mechanism. | ||
===Fungi=== | |||
The most frightening fungi are the ones that modify their host's behaviors. For instance, [[wikipedia:Ophiocordyceps unilateralis|Ophiocordyceps unilateralis]] causes the infected host ant to clamp to the main vein of a leaf, "about 25cm above the ground, on the northern side of the plant, in an environment with 94-95% humidity and temperatures between 20 and 30°C", where it dies when the fungus emerges from its brain on a stalk and releases its spores. | |||
===Insects=== | |||
*The [[wikipedia:Emerald cockroach wasp|emerald cockroach wasp]] finds a cockroach and stings it in the precise thoracic ganglion which controls the roach's front legs. This allows the wasp to then sting the roach in its brain. The venom it injects disables only the roach's escape reflexes (not altering abilities like flight or flipping over). The wasp then chews off half of each antenna, possibly to allow it to regulate the amount of venom in the roach so it stays alive but under control. The wasp then leads the roach by its antennae to the wasp's burrow, lays an egg on it, and closes the burrow's entrance so nothing can prey on the roach, which is incredibly complacent about all of this thanks to the venom. Over the course of a few days, the wasp larva is born and feasts on the living roach. | |||
*[[wikipedia:Glyptapanteles|Glyptapanteles]] is another amazingly specific wasp parasite. It infects a caterpillar, which hosts its eggs until they are ready to emerge and pupate. The caterpillar then ''guards the eggs'' until it starves to death. [http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchFirstRepresentation.action?uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002276.s001 Don't believe me?] | |||
*The [[wikipedia:Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga|Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga]], which infects a specific kind of spider, forcing it to build a stronger-than-normal web, then makes the spider sit at the center of the web until the wasp larva emerges and consumes the spider, then pupates on the web which has been strengthened to support the pupa. | |||
*This doesn't have anything to do with parasitism, but just to conclusively demonstrate that wasps are the kings of the insect kingdom, witness the [[wikipedia:Tarantula wasp|tarantula wasp]]. | |||
===Other animals=== | |||
*This one is pretty gross but very fascinating. The [[wikipedia:Dicrocoelium_dendriticum|Lancet liver fluke]] grows inside cattle, until it eventually leaves the cattle in "pie" form. Apparently snails enjoy cow pies, and end up ingesting the tiny flukes. Snails then expel these flukes inside slime balls (kind of like how your nose deals with unwelcome dust). Ants then eat the slime balls, which are like a moist treat. The flukes grow inside the ant's [[wikipedia:haemocoel|haemocoel]], except for one little fluke, which travels up to the ant's brain. This ant continues to behave normally, except for one odd quirk: every night, he climbs grass. He waits on the grass stalk until morning, at which point he descends to avoid deadly sunlight and rejoins his ant buddies (he's a vampire ant!). Finally, one night a cow or other grazing animal eats the grass that the ant is on. The flukes are now in the cow. Lather, rinse, repeat. | |||
*[[wikipedia:Toxoplasma_gondii|Toxoplasma]] is a famous protozoan which likes to live inside cats. How does it get inside the cat? Often by infecting rats. The infected rat is suddenly drawn to the scent of cats rather than repelled by it. This is intriguing because the rat has not become fearless or danger-seeking in general; it just acquires a sudden urge to befriend a cat, who finds it to be a nice snack. Toxoplasma then reproduces harmlessly inside the cat, and its ovocytes end up in the litter box. | |||
:Because many people own cats, scientists estimate that up to a third of the world's people may be infected. This is rather interesting, as toxoplasma is linked to auto accidents (through slowed reflexes), and miscarriages. It may be partially responsible for [http://scienceblogs.com/loom/2006/08/01/a_nation_of_cowards_blame_the.php differing social psychologies] around the world. It also may or may not be a cause of brain cancer and schizophrenia. Don't panic, it's not too hard [[wikipedia:Toxoplasmosis#Pregnancy_precautions|to avoid infection]]; just clean the litter box every day, wash your hands after, and keep your cat inside so it can't eat rats! This public service announcement brought to you by your friendly neighborhood wiki. | |||
==To Develop== | |||
:Dropping these terms here for now: [[wikipedia:Host_(biology)#Host_range|host range]], [[wikipedia:Okazaki_fragments|Okazaki fragments]], [[wikipedia:Mobilome|mobilome]], [[wikipedia:Aggressive_mimicry|aggressive mimicry]], [[wikipedia:Molecular_mimicry|molecular mimicry]]. | |||
*[[wikipedia:Tobacco_mosaic_virus|Tobacco mosaic virus]]: "Due to its cylindrical high aspect ratio, self-assembling nature, and ability to incorporate metal coatings (nickel and cobalt) into its shell, TMV is an ideal candidate to be incorporated into battery electrodes." | *[[wikipedia:Tobacco_mosaic_virus|Tobacco mosaic virus]]: "Due to its cylindrical high aspect ratio, self-assembling nature, and ability to incorporate metal coatings (nickel and cobalt) into its shell, TMV is an ideal candidate to be incorporated into battery electrodes." | ||
==[[wikipedia:Phenetics|Phenetics]]== | ==[[wikipedia:Phenetics|Wilderness Phenetics]]== | ||
No need to try to invent an entirely new alien system of plant life. Truth is stranger than fiction anyway. We can use real-life plants as our guide for what sort of abilities and appearances the Wilderness flora will have, and how some of them may interact with the human body.... | No need to try to invent an entirely new alien system of plant life. Truth is stranger than fiction anyway. We can use real-life plants as our guide for what sort of abilities and appearances the Wilderness flora will have, and how some of them may interact with the human body.... | ||
==Daodan organism== | |||
[[Category:Oni 2]] | [[Category:Oni 2]] | ||