<
https://www.quantamagazine.org/most-life-on-earth-is-dormant-after-pulling-an-emergency-brake-20240605/>
"Researchers recently reported the discovery of a natural protein, named Balon,
that can bring a cell’s production of new proteins to a screeching halt. Balon
was found in bacteria that hibernate in Arctic permafrost, but it also seems to
be made by many other organisms and may be an overlooked mechanism for dormancy
throughout the tree of life.
For most life forms, the ability to shut oneself off is a vital part of staying
alive. Harsh conditions like lack of food or cold weather can appear out of
nowhere. In these dire straits, rather than keel over and die, many organisms
have mastered the art of dormancy. They slow down their activity and
metabolism. Then, when better times roll back around, they reanimate.
Sitting around in a dormant state is actually the norm for the majority of life
on Earth: By some estimates, 60% of all microbial cells are hibernating at any
given time. Even in organisms whose entire bodies do not go dormant, like most
mammals, some cellular populations within them rest and wait for the best time
to activate.
“We live on a dormant planet,” said Sergey Melnikov, an evolutionary molecular
biologist at Newcastle University. “Life is mainly about being asleep.”"
Via
Fix the News:
https://fixthenews.com/dawn-solar-age-same-sex-thailand-nature-europe/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
