Organism

The smaller a particle is, the more organisms it can get into. Plastics can break down so small that they enter individual cells of either the algae or the zooplankton that feed on them. The researchers can’t yet say if all that microplastic is harming Melosira arctica. But additional lab research has found that plastic particles can be toxic for other forms of algae. “In experiments with very high doses of microplastics, small microplastics damaged and entered algal cells, leading to stress responses such as damage of…

In the Wasatch Mountains of the western US on the slopes above a spring-fed lake, there dwells a single giant organism that provides an entire ecosystem on which plants and animals have relied for thousands of years.Found in my home state of Utah, "Pando" is a 106-acre stand of quaking aspen clones.Although it looks like a woodland of individual trees with striking white bark and small leaves that flutter in the slightest breeze, Pando (Latin for "I spread") is actually 47,000 genetically identical stems that arise from…

A type of freshwater plankton has become the first organism seen thriving on a diet of viruses, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the US. Viruses are often consumed incidentally by a range wide of organisms, and may even season the diets of certain marine protists. But to qualify as a true step in the food chain – described as virovory – viruses ought to contribute a significant amount of energy or nutrients to their consumer.The microbe Halteria is a common genus of…

Scientists have discovered something intriguing in a new type of organism that actually eats viruses. The organisms, which are known as virovores, don’t just eat viruses accidentally, either. These organisms actually go out of their way to support a diet that snacks on viruses. The discovery of the organisms that eat viruses came when researcher John DeLong from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln set out to see if any microbes actively ate viruses. To do this, DeLong and his team collected samples of pond water…

Name a type of organic matter and chances are some type of organism has evolved to eat it. Plants, meat, algae, insects and bacteria are all consumed by different creatures, but now scientists have discovered something new on the menu – viruses.Since viruses are found absolutely everywhere, it’s inevitable that organisms will consume them incidentally. But researcher John DeLong at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln wanted to find out if any microbes actively ate viruses, and whether such a diet could support the…

Tiny single-celled critters obviously don't have room for a brain to tell them how to move in complex ways, so to get about, they usually roll, slither or swim.But microscopic pond dwellers called Euplotes eurystomus have mastered a way to walk brainlessly – scurrying about like insects, with their 14 little appendages.They appear to move a bit like the Dutch-designed kinetic sculptures called Strandbeasts, with clockwork-like connections cycling them through a pattern of set states that can be adjusted in response to…

Unidentified deep-sea "blue goo" creatures recently left scientists scratching their heads after they spotted the mysterious blobs hanging out on the seafloor in the Caribbean.During a live stream of the expedition, team members discussed what the gloopy globules could be, but none of the researchers could come up with a definitive answer.Multiple blue goo creatures were sighted Aug. 30 by scientists controlling a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) near the seafloor surrounding St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands.The…

You are very special. You're an individual with thoughts, feelings, your own unique set of experiences.And you're so warm and moist – an ambulatory habitat for trillions of tiny, microscopic bacteria. Your skin, your follicles, your innards, are all crawling with little organisms too small to see or feel.Shhh, it's OK. It's better this way. In fact, it is highly possible that you wouldn't be you without them. But some of those little microbes are pretty strange – evolving and adapting to the unique environments provided…

In spite of their reputation as living dinosaurs, birds have come a long way since the days of T. rex and friends. Gone is the toothy rostrum, replaced by the more familiar beak. Their skeletons have adapted for flight, as have their forelimbs. Even their pelvis is twisted into a shape that their more ancient ancestors would barely recognize.  These changes weren't spontaneous developments, nor are they absolute. For a brief period early in their development, in fact, birds of all variety grow a pelvis that wouldn't have…

The birds and the bees are expert pollinators on land, but how does this vital task happen in the sea? A decade ago, scientists discovered small marine worms and crustaceans transport pollen between flowering seagrass, and now another research team has found a possible new pollinator: a slender crustacean called an isopod that swims between red algae with its sperm cells stuck to its body, fertilizing the plant as it grazes. “It’s a really exciting piece of work,” says Susan…