Many creatures are existing on earth with their unique characteristics and attributes. Having differentiated habitats, each of them has some tactics to follow for better survival. With all such requirements, oxygen is an important thing that is the utmost need for nearly all organisms to live and sustain in any environment. But have you heard of an animal that can live without water? Animal Capable Of Surviving Without Oxygen
In this blog, we would learn about a creature being discovered by scientists that do not need oxygen to remain alive.
Regarding this great discovery.
Having lesser than ten cells in its body, this recently discovered organism lives within the muscles of salmon. Scientists have discovered the first-ever animal that can sustain even in absence of oxygen.
The minute parasite named Henneguya salminicola is the first-ever known multicellular visceral body capable of surviving without oxygen.
According to the study being published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers at Tel Aviv University, this organism doesn’t contain mitochondria.
More regarding its existence.
As per the discoverers, salminicola lacks a process of breathing. This means that this organism can not breathe even if it tries to. This organism is considered to be a relative of jellyfish and corals. Even if this organism lives in salmon muscles, it doesn’t harm it anyways.
The only problem it creates is the “milky flesh” or “tapioca” disease. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the disease is so named for the white fluid-filled cysts that are caused in fish.
Sudden discovery.
The discovery of this unique organism fundamentally changed the approach the scientists observe the animal kingdom. This discovery was accidentally made when the sequence of the “Henneguya” genome was extracted. Researchers revealed that this organism lacked mitochondria, which is known to be the powerhouse of the cell.
While working with its genome, this organelle was not found which led them into surprise and hence the discovery of H. salminicola. Animal Capable Of Surviving Without Oxygen
Attributes of Henneguya salminicola.
H. salminicola is a multicellular organism whose energy production mechanism is not yet revealed. According to professors of Tel Aviv University and Dorothee Huchon (lead author of press release), the organism might be capturing the energy for survival from surrounding fish cells that are capable of respiring with different types of oxygen-free mechanisms. This however characterizes salminicola as an anaerobic non-animal organism.
Discovery according to scientists.
In the case of this discovery, scientists from different organizations had different views regarding its existence. Huchon mentioned that aerobic respiration was assumed to be pervasive in animals, but in the case of this unique animal, the situation was different.
A different mechanism for breathing was observed. This led scinetists to believe in the critical pathway of respiration. Some other researchers revealed that even if some single-celled organisms are known to have lost their breathing process over time, this was the first case being documented in any multicellular animal.
However, this has become an important and peculiar point of consideration regarding the study of evolution for many scientists throughout the world.
