And that's why we have a lot of shredded stuff recipes.
After they realised that the subject didn't reassemble, they then went ahead to do other tests with the shredded matter, one of which was cooking and eating them.
Many, many poor little creatures with simpler or more robust or segmented nervous systems. Mostly common worms, cnidarians, starfish, metamorphosing insects, and more in that line of thought. It’s common in college bio to watch planarians unmangle themselves. Sucks for them, but they get food and relative safety, so I’ve always considered it an even trade
Based on the link sent by fossilesque@mander.xyz above, it seems somewhat unlikely. The video mentions that the sponge recombines into multiple small sponges, meaning the cells don't necessarily remember the original form.
I very well could be wrong in my interpretation though
How many animals have we ground up and put through a sieve into salt water to be this confident about it being the only animal that can do this? I need sources.
basically tiny worms, often shorter than a few milimeters. it's the name for a whole group of different species, so some are microscopic while some can be several cm long
There seem to be many of these multicellular animals who don't feel like a singular individual animal. I was commenting on a post a few months ago about the most genetically simple multicellular animal, this thing has less base pairs than most bacteria, and it can also do this trick where disassociated cells recombine into new individuals. This creature also reproduce sexually if and only if the concentration of fellow individuals is high enough, cells will just leave the body and join a new one like for fun. It really calls into question what an individual is.
I guess it makes sense that multicellularity would be more of a spectrum than a binary condition. If life evolved into it gradually, then it would make sense to find a lot of "intermediate" evolutionary states that don't feel like they're distinctly one or the other.
So, my assumption is: separated cells with the same genetic code, or some other biomarker of "individuality" that might not technically be unique, will attach to each other given the chance.
Super quick research suggests they don't have organs or a nervous system, but do have specialized bits like flagella to move water through their pores/tunnels. The majority of the cells just ... are. Sounds more like a colony of genetically identical cells than a single multi-cellular creature (to me), but I assume biologists have much more information and reason to consider them the way they do.
I dug around for a little bit, and it seems like the answer might be yes. Take what follows with a grain of salt, as I skimmed or read a few sources focused on different things and have done my best to reproduce a full picture.
First, some basic facts. Sponges anchor to the seabed (freshwater ones anchor to the dirt at the bottom of a lake/whatever). Sponge cells can move around each other and rearrange, part of their normal functioning, to keep water flowing through themselves efficiently for respiration and food capture.
Next, the mechanisms of reconstruction from a soup of sponge cells. As they bump into each other and recognize their own kind, sponge cells manage to hold together and hope for ground to attach to. They flatten out, presumably both to improve grip to the ground and to provide a large surface area for more cells to join. As long as the new colony ends up with enough of two specific kinds of cells (one makes connective mesohyl, the other makes everything else), it can grow.
The main thing I couldn't (quickly) find is specific confirmation that two healthy, stable colonies coming from a single halved source sponge can reattach, or if the reaggregation process only works following injury or during some kind of stress. Since the cells normally move around, though, it seems reasonable that this could work.
Based on all that and assuming their aren't other factors for sponge cells recognizing each other not entirely based on DNA, then presumably clones could also be attached.
Note that sponges don't actually stop growing. Their main limits are resource needs and predation, since some sea life likes to take nibbles or bites out of them (that's possibly a factor to why they are so adept at reorganization). So if your question involved cloning (rather than reattachment) only to get around a rough maximum size or early-life growth period that stops, it shouldn't be necessary.
64 Comments
IcedRaktajino@startrek.website · 219 pts · 300d
How many other animals did they put through a sieve to reach this conclusion? How many?!
aislopmukbang@sh.itjust.works · 78 pts · 300d
IcedRaktajino@startrek.website · 104 pts · 300d
ch00f@lemmy.world · 53 pts · 300d
To shreds you say
ulterno@programming.dev · 3 pts · 299d
And that's why we have a lot of shredded stuff recipes.
After they realised that the subject didn't reassemble, they then went ahead to do other tests with the shredded matter, one of which was cooking and eating them.
MagicShel@lemmy.zip · 26 pts · 300d
Gullible@sh.itjust.works · 14 pts · 300d
Many, many poor little creatures with simpler or more robust or segmented nervous systems. Mostly common worms, cnidarians, starfish, metamorphosing insects, and more in that line of thought. It’s common in college bio to watch planarians unmangle themselves. Sucks for them, but they get food and relative safety, so I’ve always considered it an even trade
s@piefed.world · 143 pts · 300d
If you mix up the grindings of multiple sponges, do they only recombine with their own cells?
ladicius@lemmy.world · 86 pts · 300d
Excellent question!
Now on to the grinder...
mech@feddit.org · 57 pts · 300d
Did I hear on to Grindr?
Hell yes, let's do science!
stringere@sh.itjust.works · 18 pts · 300d
Ooh I hope Science is cute!
ladicius@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 300d
You do you... And me? 😘
hunkyburrito@lemmy.zip · 50 pts · 300d
Based on the link sent by fossilesque@mander.xyz above, it seems somewhat unlikely. The video mentions that the sponge recombines into multiple small sponges, meaning the cells don't necessarily remember the original form.
I very well could be wrong in my interpretation though
WhyIHateTheInternet@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 300d
The real scientist here asking the real questions
NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world · 71 pts · 299d
How many animals have we ground up and put through a sieve into salt water to be this confident about it being the only animal that can do this? I need sources.
Lyrl@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 27 pts · 299d
I mean, enough that manufacturing of homogenizers is a thing. https://improbable.com/2021/05/13/shakespeare-and-the-whole-mouse-homogenizer/?amp=1
AppleTea@lemmy.zip · 20 pts · 299d
is this the biologist's equivalent of "assume a flat, frictionless plane"
Assume A Perfectly Homogeneous Liquid Mouse
pupbiru@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 299d
now that’s what i call molecular biology!
NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 299d
I shouldn’t have asked for sources…
greedytacothief@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 15 pts · 299d
I think there's nematodes that we've blended up before, but instead you get a bunch of nematodes instead of just one.
NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 299d
“Hey, Bob, watcha getting up to?”
“I’m just chopping up these worms.”
“… Why?”
“… sssssscience?”
“Holy shit, they’re all functioning individually!”
“Oh, thank fu- I mean, yeah, that’s what I was testing for. …Do we have any dogs?”
“…”
Rezoie@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 299d
what's a nematode?
meekah@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 298d
basically tiny worms, often shorter than a few milimeters. it's the name for a whole group of different species, so some are microscopic while some can be several cm long
Rezoie@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 296d
sounds yuckyy I hate insects and worms
elbiter@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 299d
I'm trying with a dog now, the hamster and the cat didn't work...
MajorasTerribleFate@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 299d
Ed... ward...
NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 299d
No…
danhab99@programming.dev · 67 pts · 300d
There seem to be many of these multicellular animals who don't feel like a singular individual animal. I was commenting on a post a few months ago about the most genetically simple multicellular animal, this thing has less base pairs than most bacteria, and it can also do this trick where disassociated cells recombine into new individuals. This creature also reproduce sexually if and only if the concentration of fellow individuals is high enough, cells will just leave the body and join a new one like for fun. It really calls into question what an individual is.
very_well_lost@lemmy.world · 46 pts · 300d
I guess it makes sense that multicellularity would be more of a spectrum than a binary condition. If life evolved into it gradually, then it would make sense to find a lot of "intermediate" evolutionary states that don't feel like they're distinctly one or the other.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 36 pts · 300d
My body still repairs itself while I dissociate. Does that count?
Deathray5@lemmynsfw.com · 1 pts · 298d
I find my body really struggles with basic repair when I dissociate
SirSamuel@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 300d
Ah, yes, I too read The Bikini Bottom Horror
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 18 pts · 300d
Don't caterpillars turn thier cells to mush when they turn into butterflys?
toynbee@lemmy.world · 34 pts · 300d
Yeah, but I don't think it works with a grinder.
However, apparently caterpillars retain memories from their caterpillar form when in butterfly form! That's pretty cool.
FuglyDuck@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 300d
Bro, the whole process of going from caterpillar-> goo->butterfly creeps me out.
I’m sure it is fascinating. But also, nope.
toynbee@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 300d
Very fair point.
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 7 pts · 300d
My friends never seen a butterfly on grinder yet, so I think you're right.
Seriously though, the whole memory retention thing is amazing
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 300d
zqwzzle@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 300d
They don’t completely turn to goo, structures are already there in caterpillar form. https://youtu.be/4RaCURU6A2o
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 2 pts · 300d
Cool video
It certifies my lifelong belief that butterflies love ass to ass!
zqwzzle@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 299d
Unlike the human centipede…
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 1 pts · 299d
We need more studies to be sure.
masterspace@lemmy.ca · 17 pts · 299d
Do they regrow their body or a new body made from the same parts?
rucksack@feddit.org · 14 pts · 298d
New ship of Theseus just dropped
killingspark@feddit.org · 6 pts · 298d
What the fuck is Theseus doing over there?
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 17 pts · 299d
What if you cut it in half first, would the ground up halves restore to half a sponge?
Then what if you stir the sponge powder and remove half.
drolex@sopuli.xyz · 10 pts · 299d
Give this person a grant and let them sciencify please
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 299d
I have had new ideas too, what if you combine fractions of different sponges?
MajorasTerribleFate@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 299d
So, my assumption is: separated cells with the same genetic code, or some other biomarker of "individuality" that might not technically be unique, will attach to each other given the chance.
Super quick research suggests they don't have organs or a nervous system, but do have specialized bits like flagella to move water through their pores/tunnels. The majority of the cells just ... are. Sounds more like a colony of genetically identical cells than a single multi-cellular creature (to me), but I assume biologists have much more information and reason to consider them the way they do.
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 299d
So could we clone them and then grow them larger again, then once they regrow combine them into a super sponge!
MajorasTerribleFate@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 298d
I dug around for a little bit, and it seems like the answer might be yes. Take what follows with a grain of salt, as I skimmed or read a few sources focused on different things and have done my best to reproduce a full picture.
First, some basic facts. Sponges anchor to the seabed (freshwater ones anchor to the dirt at the bottom of a lake/whatever). Sponge cells can move around each other and rearrange, part of their normal functioning, to keep water flowing through themselves efficiently for respiration and food capture.
Next, the mechanisms of reconstruction from a soup of sponge cells. As they bump into each other and recognize their own kind, sponge cells manage to hold together and hope for ground to attach to. They flatten out, presumably both to improve grip to the ground and to provide a large surface area for more cells to join. As long as the new colony ends up with enough of two specific kinds of cells (one makes connective mesohyl, the other makes everything else), it can grow.
The main thing I couldn't (quickly) find is specific confirmation that two healthy, stable colonies coming from a single halved source sponge can reattach, or if the reaggregation process only works following injury or during some kind of stress. Since the cells normally move around, though, it seems reasonable that this could work.
Based on all that and assuming their aren't other factors for sponge cells recognizing each other not entirely based on DNA, then presumably clones could also be attached.
Note that sponges don't actually stop growing. Their main limits are resource needs and predation, since some sea life likes to take nibbles or bites out of them (that's possibly a factor to why they are so adept at reorganization). So if your question involved cloning (rather than reattachment) only to get around a rough maximum size or early-life growth period that stops, it shouldn't be necessary.
Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 296d
So we can start hunting for a world record on biggest living sponge manufactured. 🧐🤔
MissJinx@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 300d
Fact: Spongebob can teleport
jol@discuss.tchncs.de · 16 pts · 299d
Would have been better without the dumb AI image
sirico@feddit.uk · 14 pts · 299d
Like Deadpool
Valmond@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 300d
How do they know other lifeforms do not do that?
Answer me! How do they know?!
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 5 pts · 300d
SCIENCE
and imagination 🌈
Valmond@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 299d
No testing?!
TachyonTele@piefed.social · 2 pts · 299d
That's the science part!
SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world · 11 pts · 300d
So, when they reassemble does it start with the middle finger?
wolframhydroxide@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 300d
Without a nervous system, the only thing it can feel is ANGER.
GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 298d
TIL Deadpool is a sponge.
huquad@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 300d
So that's how Boros did it
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 300d
Chat, is this true?
fossilesque@mander.xyz · 15 pts · 300d
Speiser0@feddit.org · 3 pts · 300d
Forbidden cake.
expatriado@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 300d
when they come back they grow 2 hands with long fingers and fused palms
Friendlybirdseggs@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 297d