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Oni2:Slaves of War/Neo-Biology: Difference between revisions
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*The [https://web.williams.edu/Biology/explodingflower/movies.html White Mulberry tree] spreads pollen by firing shots at half the speed of sound. | *The [https://web.williams.edu/Biology/explodingflower/movies.html White Mulberry tree] spreads pollen by firing shots at half the speed of sound. | ||
*The fungus Pilobolus grows in cow dung, breaking it down as a [[wp: | *The fungus Pilobolus grows in cow dung, breaking it down as a [[wp:Decomposer|decomposer]]. It [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrKJAojmB1Y fires its spores like a small cannon] by building up water pressure in the stalk. It leans towards and fires into the sun for some reason, and the spores can travel several feet. The need to fire the spores comes from the fact that the cows won't eat grass right next to their own waste, and Pilobolus needs to be eaten by the cow in order to end up in a fresh cow patty and grow there. | ||
**Pilobolus is [http://www.demaravillas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Pilobolus-sp-07.jpg pretty gorgeous] for something that grows in cow dung, isn't it? The bulbs are called sporangiospheres. | **Pilobolus is [http://www.demaravillas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Pilobolus-sp-07.jpg pretty gorgeous] for something that grows in cow dung, isn't it? The bulbs are called sporangiospheres. | ||
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====Parasitic plants==== | ====Parasitic plants==== | ||
Plants are supposed to be autotrophic, meaning that they manufacture their own food (unlike animals). The key to autotrophism is photosynthesis. However, [[wp:Parasitic plant|some plants]] have decided to take a detour off of Photosynthesis Road and into Parasite Alley. They use a special root known as a [[wp: | Plants are supposed to be autotrophic, meaning that they manufacture their own food (unlike animals). The key to autotrophism is photosynthesis. However, [[wp:Parasitic plant|some plants]] have decided to take a detour off of Photosynthesis Road and into Parasite Alley. They use a special root known as a [[wp:Haustorium|haustorium]]. Rather than pulling nutrients from the ground, this root pulls nutrients directly from another plant. It works by [[wp: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. | ||
====Miscellaneous plants==== | ====Miscellaneous plants==== | ||
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===Other animals=== | ===Other animals=== | ||
*This one is pretty gross but very fascinating. The [[wp: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 [[wp: | *This one is pretty gross but very fascinating. The [[wp: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 [[wp: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 the sunlight (which would kill it) and rejoins his ant buddies; he's become 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. | ||
*[[wp: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. | *[[wp: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. | ||
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*[[wp: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." | *[[wp: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." | ||
*Massive bio-concept dump: [[wp:Host_(biology)#Host_range|host range]], [[wp:Okazaki_fragments|Okazaki fragments]], [[wp:Mobilome|mobilome]], [[wp:Aggressive_mimicry|aggressive mimicry]], [[wp:Molecular_mimicry|molecular mimicry]], [[wp:Vector_(biology)|vector]], [[wp:RNA_interference|RNA interference]], [[wp:Viroids|viroids]], [[wp:Plasmids|plasmids]], [[wp:Rolling circle replication|rolling circles]], [[wp:Electroporation|electroporation]], [[wp: | *Massive bio-concept dump: [[wp:Host_(biology)#Host_range|host range]], [[wp:Okazaki_fragments|Okazaki fragments]], [[wp:Mobilome|mobilome]], [[wp:Aggressive_mimicry|aggressive mimicry]], [[wp:Molecular_mimicry|molecular mimicry]], [[wp:Vector_(biology)|vector]], [[wp:RNA_interference|RNA interference]], [[wp:Viroids|viroids]], [[wp:Plasmids|plasmids]], [[wp:Rolling circle replication|rolling circles]], [[wp:Electroporation|electroporation]], [[wp:Replicon_(genetics)|replicons]], prions (see above), [[wp:Transposons|transposons]], [[wp:Red_Queen%27s_Hypothesis|Red Queen's Hypothesis]], [[wp:Millepora_alcicornis|Millepora alcicornis]]. | ||
===Nature and origin=== | ===Nature and origin=== | ||