Frozen Planet
Re: Frozen Planet
Do caterpillars have a heart?
Re: Frozen Planet
In effect, yes. Although insects do not have veins and arteries, they do have a muscle which moves the haemolymph (blood) around the body cavity. For more information, see http://insects.about.com/od/morphology/ ... tomy_4.htmSusie wrote:Do caterpillars have a heart?
I was fascinated to learn of a caterpillar which spends 14 years with an annual cycle of being frozen solid!
Mike
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Dave McCormick
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Re: Frozen Planet
Me too, never knew anything could survive basically shutting down to the point of death then coming alive after warming up, cryopreservation?I was fascinated to learn of a caterpillar which spends 14 years with an annual cycle of being frozen solid!
Cheers all,
My Website: My new website: http://daveslepidoptera.com/ - Last Update: 11/10/2011
My Nature videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DynamixWarePro
My Website: My new website: http://daveslepidoptera.com/ - Last Update: 11/10/2011
My Nature videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/DynamixWarePro
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Lee Hurrell
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- Location: Hampshire
Re: Frozen Planet
As with last week's I essentially watched for an hour with mouth agape, awestruck.
Rewinding bits every now and again (did he say 14 years!?; they won't touch land for 5 years!? etc).
Stunning.
LH
Rewinding bits every now and again (did he say 14 years!?; they won't touch land for 5 years!? etc).
Stunning.
LH
To butterfly meadows, chalk downlands and leafy glades; to summers eternal.
Re: Frozen Planet
Once again, evolutionary mechanisms leave us awestruck!
My wife showed me a textbook on insect entomology (Gullan & Cranston), which describes the amazing array of mechanisms that enable insects to survive Arctic conditions. Apparently, there is a Himalayan glacier midge which remains active at an air temperature of -16°C !
There are ice-nucleating agents, which allow 'safe' freezing of the blood, gut, and some other areas. Other agents gradually dehydrate cell contents, so that these cannot freeze. Antifreeze proteins may also be produced, to provide protection throughout the freezing and thawing processes.
The tenacity of life in extreme conditions is utterly amazing.
Mike
My wife showed me a textbook on insect entomology (Gullan & Cranston), which describes the amazing array of mechanisms that enable insects to survive Arctic conditions. Apparently, there is a Himalayan glacier midge which remains active at an air temperature of -16°C !
There are ice-nucleating agents, which allow 'safe' freezing of the blood, gut, and some other areas. Other agents gradually dehydrate cell contents, so that these cannot freeze. Antifreeze proteins may also be produced, to provide protection throughout the freezing and thawing processes.
The tenacity of life in extreme conditions is utterly amazing.
Mike