algae - io9

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Single-Cell Algae Can Swim In Two Different "Gears"
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Gann
07/31/09

In reply to Single-Cell Algae Can Swim In Two Different "Gears"
Similarly, I propel myself by either wiggling my appendages out of sync (walking) or wiggling them in sync (jumping)
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botanicidal
07/30/09

In reply to Single-Cell Algae Can Swim In Two Different "Gears"
I might be reading this description wrong, but I do distinctly recall going to a sadly, very very boring lecture three years ago where E. coli flagellum were described in terms of their two distinct ways of moving the cells: one motion was in sync, while the other was more random/out of sync, or something to that effect. Either, the above-described motion is something completely different, or scientists have rediscovered something someone already apparently knew. :S

Either way, go algae!
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RandomFrequentFlierDent
07/31/09

@botanicidal: I was kind of wondering about this too - without looking anything up, I'm thinking it might be the difference between bacterium like E. coli being prokaryotes and algae being eukaryotes. Just a guess though.
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Stephen Goldmeier
07/31/09

@RandomFrequentFlierDent: Also, another part of what makes this interesting is that the algae change motions based on biological, chemical, AND environmental factors. It's a lot more complex than this research team expected it to be.
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RandomFrequentFlierDent
07/30/09

In reply to Single-Cell Algae Can Swim In Two Different "Gears"
No one has commented yet? It's really cool! I guess there's not much to say beyond that though . . . So yeah . . . very interesting.

Hopefully this can lead to some real developments in relation to human ciliary diseases since defects cause a crazy number of problems in almost every organ/organ system.

Besides this, single-celled organisms and how they function are just plain cool.
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Edited by RandomFrequentFlierDent at 07/30/09 8:30 PM

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