Bursaria: Giant Gravity-Sensing Vacuums

[@JamsGerms]

I love Bursaria but they are just too big to record! And found Bursaria truncatella just yesterday. They are like three times the size of the largest one we showed in this episode, we'll showcase our finding in a future episode! -James

[@Skittenmeow]

Nom!

[@kelimar3014]

I wonder, are they simply into the realm of the macro lens instead of the microscope?

[@ivytarablair]

I was watching just now amazed that you were able to track them so well! Fast little suckers!

[@johnz5359]

@@kelimar3014 Maybe, my macro lenses can absolutely take great photos of things that are 1mm in size. Maybe being in water and moving quickly would be a challenge in this case though.

[@tomhorseman9832]

Love your work!!

[@Evan-bk9wx]

Hank's "Microcosmos" voice is so soothing.

[@Beardwhip]

I know, it's a huge draw. The other writers voice just doesn't have the same mellow character

[@Flame-Bright-Cheer]

Took me a few episodes to realize why I enjoyed the narration so much....because it's our good old pal Hank with his big brain and his micro voice....🤘🕉️🙏🤓🧠🖤

[@okgoose3305]

Madness Combat Refrence?!+!

[@duckgoesquack4514]

Its my secret a.s.r.m

[@jasondenys]

Reminds me of Ze Frank's True Facts voice

[@fantasticmicrobes]

The shot where it eats the paramecium: golden!

[@ivytarablair]

I confess i went AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA at the screen :D

[@TheBureau_SA]

I still love that your voice-overs are like a sleep story. I can start the play list before bed and drift off to sleep learning about the microcosmos.

[@AzureLazuline]

I love this thing's design! It's just a big, slightly asymmetrical circle with a hole on the front, and it swims around randomly to try to get stuff to land in the hole. It's just a really tiny roomba!

[@willemalgra9382]

Look at the cute lil Gastrotrich in the top right around 6:20! This channel inspired me to get my own microscope, and a Gastrotrich was one of the first things I found, so they've got a special place in my heart.

[@wzae___]

A rotifer is the first thing I found and I thought it was a water bear

[@VoceCorale]

I seem to spot one at 7:37 as well... am I wrong?

[@willemalgra9382]

@@VoceCorale I think you're right. It's a small one though, probably still very young.

[@GordonFreechmen]

Been waiting many seasons for these vacuumy bois to get their own episode. Edit: Gosh, the JTTM fellas must’ve thought so too if they hearted my comment before I edited it.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

And you got a tiny lesson on physics from them. EDIT: You doofus, you just threw your heart away by editing your OP! 😂

[@Reth_Hard]

The Roomba of the microcosmos.

[@hyperactivehyena]

You better absolutely believe I now want a handbag designed to look (function if possible) like a bursaria

[@brettsuydam]

I have never thought of the detection of a lack of knowledge as a sense until now. Mind blown. It makes me wonder how primitive a nervous system can be that can detect a lack of knowledge instead of just random information input, processing, and response.

[@nureyevhaas1299]

I imagine any organ that is capable of acknowledging and rendering the direction of electrical signals is capable of dedicating 'something' like knowledge.

[@geraldkenneth119]

I imagine that it would have to be relatively complex, as it would have to be capable of introspection and the ability to question the world around it.

[@turingsghost]

Frankly love how prevalent the Roomba school of design is at this level of magnification. Just a disk with a mouth that moves around. Evolution has decided that Roombas are the most efficient design possible.

[@neetachabukswar7430]

I am amazed and loving the gentle folding of sides by the busaria without hurting or damaging itself while brushing against other objects

[@demetrialowther727]

I'm glad you mentioned the plant by the same name as I grew up with these plants. Bursaria spinosa is a native species where I'm from in Tasmania, preferring the more arid parts of the state over rocky hillsides. They're prickly small trees/large shrubs and have a glorious resinous smell as so many Australian species do. The little seed pods, shaped like a love heart, contain 2 small seeds and form in clusters following a profusion of small, white, honey-scented flowers that are wildly popular with nectar scarabs.

[@ScottTheBot07]

This is good content and you guys should be proud.

[@JeepinBoon]

I can't imagine the chills you get when you capture such a rare occurrence.

[@parulkakkar9768]

More power to you guys!! ❤ I am microbiology student and i still learn so much great things to from guys. Kudos to you. I wish this channel have million subs as they truly deserve it.👍

[@DJsteuph]

Totally agree, I can’t believe more people aren’t watching. it’s such a fascinating world. But of course they’ll be more focused on what fake UFO was photographed

[@jarmengolalbanell]

About gravitaxis mechanism: if you put all your heavy stuff at the end opposite to your swimming direction, you will swim mostly upwards the gravity. If you can sonicate/destroy the cell membrane and show that organelles sink by being denser than watter, you have the explanation of gravitaxis!

[@victoriawilliams2786]

Thank-you everyone who made this video for all of us! It was fascinating, entertaining and informative. I hadn't really considered gravity affecting microbes.

[@TheYuriiaraujo]

Wonderful as always. Thank you, guys!

[@hurpdurp3669]

"With a generous image of a purse in mind you might stare at these organisms and consider them bags of biology" Me: *And with a generous image of a purse in mind I might stare at a bunch of socializing humans and consider them bags of biology while I sit off in the corner being weird.*

[@chezmix64]

Oh my god this thing is literally just a tiny roomba! It even moves like one!!

[@DinnerForkTongue]

If roombas were organic little carnivores.

[@CLee288]

I was thinking Pac-Man, but I see can see roomba as well!

[@asianddrmaniac]

Your tone in these videos is so much more pleasant than your other ones. Thank you for keeping it chill with these really interesting videos.

[@peterofoz]

For gravitaxis, perhaps they can sense the slight changes of the surrounding water pressure which increases as the descend.

[@Dimensionaut]

Another pearl of knowledge and beauty. I cultured and saw my first feisty paramecium when I was 8 yo. Big awe and fun. Thanks guys.

[@UnlaunderedShirt]

Very beautiful and captivating video work, and wonderful writing and voice work. I love these videos!

[@cosmoplakat9549]

Hey, I've heard of paramecium! The owner of Goliad Farms (aquarium fish farm in Texas - has an interesting KZbin channel) often speaks of the paramecium in his breeding tubs - great fry food!

[@bengoodchild883]

Thank you to Kiwico for sponsoring these eh! Have seen your sponsors on some other really good content too. Much appreciated

[@Clairvoire]

My uneducated hypothesis is that they don't sense gravity at all. They just have a denser caboose that gravity pulls downward (or buoyancy affects less) during the brief pauses in swimming, and the ability to swim straight even though their front has higher drag. The little micro-rotations from the asymmetric pull/tug average out and orient it upward enough to counter falling.

[@ScottTheBot07]

WOW! Bursaria cysts are beautiful!

[@simonrodriguez4685]

Corrugated cysts.

[@tomhorseman9832]

I'm excited to see this channel grow. I dont understand how anyone wouldn't be fascinated by microes

[@blazertundra]

I think Bursaria might be named after Medieval purses or historic pockets in general. If you look at images of pockets from the 1700s (they were worn like hip packs from today) the microbe is very similar in shape. With such a big mouth, no wonder they named it after a pocket or a purse.

[@jonthornburg3723]

Thanks for always adding a bit of poetry in a sense to these videos (curiotaxis)

[@alan2here]

Maybe it's just sensing acceleration and sensing water flowing/dragging over the skin, the hairs would flex a bit when falling though water too. Or maybe they've got a ball in a ball or weight on a bendy prong sensor in their body.

[@sebbes333]

7:05 OH! So it is like a cellular sized *Blue Whale,* that must fly like a *Hummingbird* just to stay afloat? :o

[@rogue72able]

I like your voice. Makes it easy to listen to your videos while playing Ark Survival 😊😊 learning WHILE having fun

[@Hydra_sss]

thank you for explaining so kindly :)

[@bengoodchild883]

Lol, micro-meter like "digital micrometer" and micro-meter the distance in back to back sentences tripped me up Hank! I've heard you do the same thing before so I wonder if you do it just for fun now...

[@elviscuervo]

You can learn so much about your life just by observing the microcosmos

[@kittycatgaming592]

While you all are doing some in-depth features on certain organisms, could you do one on Tetrahymena?

[@facts247]

seems to me they could sense gravity by the amount of effort it takes for it to move in a specific direction. so if it's hard to go right than left then left is the direction that is in an upward direction.

[@christopherhurley2570]

This is what I was thinking as well, or the response on their cilia in different orientations from the natural current against them from falling. Probably easy enough to test with an artificial current of water.

[@KoiRun50]

Please do a series on koi parasites such as trichodina, chilodenella and costia.

[@fo1ulijoijas]

Bursaria must have a basic gyroscopic mechanism. Perhaps when certain parts of their inner structure are under the effects of gravity, thereby being pulled down to the ground, they can sense this and swim in the opposite direction. There must be something roughly similar to the inner ear mechanism, where bodily fluids under the effect of gravity combined with sensing cilia or hairs, produce the gyroscopic uprighting effect.

[@ralalbatross]

That's a lot of infrastructure though

[@isaacramphal5189]

I've noticed that when a lot of these microbes are consumed they usually move around for a second or two before going pretty still. I am wondering whether this is because of some sort of chemical toxicity, or maybe just because of external pressure surrounding it from within the bigger cell. Perhaps it depends or isn't well understood, but it seems interesting how quickly the cell seems to "give up"

[@garymorgan313]

At 2:29 it looks as though the paramecium is 'stung' by some organelle in the bursaria, thus paralyzing the unlucky paramecium, which then stops resisting. I wonder if this is the case?

[@koreboredom4302]

I hope you'll still be here in 2030+ to review some Martian samples under the microscope and hopefully find interplanetary life.

[@GranRey-0]

I would look for an organelle that is much more or less dense than the rest of the cytoplasm and that's probably for gravitaxi...or its cilia somehow detect the sedementation.

[@vigilantsycamore8750]

*gravitaxis* Hank: "This one sparks joy" *geotaxis* Hank: "This one does not spark joy"

[@rosanobornales6450]

*6:05* that sounded so wholesome

[@reeshadarian7486]

Love the video as always! I was wondering if we could have a video on the bits of dirt and detritus all around all the time and how the microbes use that and other things. I have no idea if that's interesting, but I just realized I know nothing about it.

[@Liminallunatic]

I think some butterfly can feel the color of light, through tiny holes in the size of different wavelengths, which are absorbed, warming a nerve. If this trait is found, could explain why some bugs are hard to sneak on

[@TRx-oj5nw]

The gravitaxis thought problem is an excellent one!

[@enigmagrieshaber5555]

-Yo dude have you seen my bursaria? -Like the paramecium or something? -No dude my busaria with no money

[@thechillingdude5369]

I think if they hold still for a second, they could use their ciliates to 'feel' in which direction the drag of the surrounding medium bends them while sedimenting. Aircraft used tiny vanes to determine their actual flight vector vs. the direction the nose is pointing.

[@adambenk0]

Cant believe videos this good are for free :)

[@1971jwing]

Great video. Did anyone see the deployment of a weapon in the stomach of the giant while eating another cilliate? Looked as though it jabbed,punched, or cut. Either way, the immobilization was instantaneous and awesome. Thank you.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Yep. That is toxicysts being triggered and injecting a venom that paralyzes all motion in the prey. Most predatory microbes that eat prey whole have this organelle.

[@bengoodchild883]

Lovely work as always! Keep it up :)

[@alejandroe.zunigasanchez259]

I remember these being the first Protozoa I identified in my biology class

[@sabrinashamme9419]

Curiotaxis 💚

[@Seraph.G]

Curiotaxis is a word that I think we should bring into common usage

[@jeffeckwulf]

At around 2:30 the paramecium that gets eaten just sort of...dies? I would love to know what chemical or mechanical force is being used to pop that thing. It's quick and incredibly definite.

[@gregzitting8483]

If you play the video at .25 speed it looks like it makes contact with that dark patch on the inside of the Bursaria's mouth. It's hard to tell if it's that or something behind the focal plane. But it looks like the moment it makes contact the paramecium ruptures. Maybe the immediate change in pressure as a result is instantly fatal to the paramecium, by interrupting the reactions taking place?

[@seanlhexterbalanquit2586]

New merch idea a Bursaria purse

[@TurkeyJoe]

I cant believe I only just found this channel. Subbed immediately.

[@victorvladmirugaldesanchez4924]

Great episode, greetings from Mexico City.

[@stevemurray6543]

Thank you.

[@Stefan-ij1qb]

This is beyond amazing

[@theirrationalmediasociety7993]

Drum machine sounds familiar, kudos +1 :) Thanks for the fun vids

[@nariu7times328]

Excellent editing Mr. Gaydos :D

[@luisaparodi8571]

Lovely bumper car vacuum cleaner of the microcosmos...

[@Calilasseia]

A word for being driven to fill gaps in our knowledge? I suggest "epistemotaxis". Yes, this is one of my fascinations along with microscopy - applied etymology. :)

[@yeezusjesus7617]

I wonder if you guys could examine brewer's yeast under a microscope and watch the process of sugar turning into alchohol.

[@ChimpyChamp]

I'm going to make a far-out guess here and say that the way it detects gravity is through buoyancy, perhaps it has a very small pocket of some gas that's sensitive to pressure and somehow couples to some signalling pathway.

[@LindaB651]

Curiotaxis- I see what you did there!

[@samuelchatt9972]

Hank, I love the show. But I'm sticking with geotaxis...and that's the word that came into my mind before I even knew what it was and heard the description.

[@BBtech0251]

"Get to the bottom of it" - I see what you did there

[@Liminallunatic]

Maybe through their cilia. If sedimentation occurs in the water around it, or gasses rise due to their lower density, they could feel the flow of material around them, and discern. You mentioned some electric sense? Magnetic fields? If so, passing impurities would not even need to have tactile interaction. They could recognize material, and state, by field changes, and the motion of that pull. Id be very curious how they have tested this so far

[@AlmostEthical]

Bursaria reminds me of a ghost muncher. Amazed at how quickly microbes are absorbed into the sediment. I never thought of touching the bottom of a pool as an occupational hazard for microbes. Surprised to see that gravity imposes size limits in the microbial world just as it does at animal scales.

[@JasonB808]

The little guy looks like a real life PAC Man with the navigation ability of a Roomba. 😂

[@irifhir]

How squished/deformed/compressed are these microbes we see in the video vs. their natural shape out of a microscope lamin?

[@andrewccobb]

Thanks for the great content

[@jimurrata6785]

I'd say their rate of fall has nothing to do with size and everything to do with specific gravity. It's only down to their density compared to the water they displace.

[@ddkapps]

It seems that for Busaria, the only certainty is death and taxis...

[@jek__]

i would argue that the ability to "sense" things is built in to all matter, its the ability to respond to gravity that they have. A rock senses gravity, it responds by doing nothing because its bonds are strong enough to keep it together. Though it can also sink and float depending on the environment. If the ability to detect stimuli wasn't built in, there would be no opportunity for evolution to evolve the ability to respond to it. So I think all of these little cells can sense gravity, many just rely on, i dunno, surface tension? instead of actively responding to it

[@andrewwicks5465]

I watch this to calm down and it works

[@aceichner]

"We used to call this geotaxis"..."we're sticking with gravitaxis." "This word (phrase actually,) I don't think it means what you think it means."

[@YathishShamaraj]

8:31 if we figure out how these things detect gravity we could try to make instruments that can (hopefully) detect gravitational waves from space.... Heck we could even try to explore quantum gravity 😁👍👍👍

[@lulzdragon7339]

Biologist: Geotaxis Hank: You fool. You absolute buffoon.

[@christophersutton2117]

love your content!

[@tsuribachi]

That excystment process is such an excitement. /headdesk what have I done....

[@alexio1942]

i feel like it has to do with the shape/structure of the bursaria that would naturally point it up or down based on gravity so it'll know which direction to swim in

[@Tunkkis]

I was wondering how "ciliate" would translate to Finnish so I could read more about them. Turns out it's "ripsieläin", literally "eyelash animal". Rather descriptive, in the weirdest sense. Paramecium are called "tohvelieläin", "slipper animal".

[@Dismythed]

I'm interested in that slug-like microbe that the bursaria spat out at 7:40.

[@famsteer]

I love his voice!

[@orgeuillealkali]

When it starts swimming backwards I really see a nautilus of the microscopic world

[@rickseiden1]

My question wouldn't be, "How can they sense gravity?" it would be, "How can they sense anything?" They don't have a brain. I mean, they're only one cell. How do they do anything? Also, Hank, getting to the bottom of gravitaxis? I see what you did there.

[@JojonathanOliveira]

But then you could go even further and ask how do a brain 'sense' anything?

[@patchizek4716]

Are those grains of pollen I see near the end, around the 8:50 mark?

[@nothingplz8836]

Yay

[@osovagabundo1]

Hank, have you thought about narrating sleep guides for adults? You would do well. You're right up there with David Attenborough. There's actually a KZbin channel called David Attenborough for Sleeping. I never could make it through his shows. Economic dialogue and no extreme drama or dramatic music. Long fat pauses too. At times his voice will appear in a dream characters dialogue as it's quietly playing while I sleep. But it helps grow the lexicon specific to this field. Or read whole audiobooks. 🤔🎙️🔬

[@NORKIE]

if they are swimming around, maybe they can sense when it's easier to swim down because they're going down, that would be the direction gravity is pulling them and they know from instinct that is bad.

[@jacksonstarky8288]

Many thanks to Bursaria for excysting!

[@katherinegilks3880]

Ah, relativity to a four-year-old! Such a difficult concept for adults. Good job!

[@michaelfries7969]

You sound like Sheldon off Big Bang Theory hehehe :p. Love your videos btw :)

[@AMadScientist]

Been trying to get some info on this DIC process. Of course these are GREAT videos but my question is this; if one has a DIC ready scope, is there much pre or post work done to get these kind of videos/images or do you get your specimen and go at it?

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Try asking on James's channel, Jam's Germs.