The 6 Largest Single Cell Organisms

When you picture a single cell, you probably imagine something super tiny that you had to look at through a microscope. But, there are some huge exceptions to this rule. And we really do mean huge! Join Michael Aranda and learn about some wild single-celled organisms in this episode of SciShow!
Check out Journey to the Microcosmos here!
/ @journeytomicro
Hosted by: Michael Aranda
SciShow has a spinoff podcast! It's called SciShow Tangents. Check it out at www.scishowtangents.org
----------
Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: / scishow
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever:
Bd_Tmprd, Harrison Mills, Jeffrey Mckishen, James Knight, Christoph Schwanke, Jacob, Matt Curls, Sam Buck, Christopher R Boucher, Eric Jensen, Lehel Kovacs, Adam Brainard, Greg, Ash, Sam Lutfi, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, Charles Southerland, charles george, Alex Hackman, Chris Peters, Kevin Bealer
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook: / scishow
Twitter: / scishow
Tumblr: / scishow
Instagram: / thescishow
----------
Sources:
Stentor coeruleus
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25202...
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47...
doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.12...
doi.org/10.1016/S0003-9365(83...
Gromia sphaerica
doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0645(99...
doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2008.10...
doi.org/10.1186/s41200-019-01...
Spiculosiphon oceana
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26312...
doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2...
Valonia ventricosa
doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-11...
doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1958.0011
doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1937.0011
doi.org/10.1038/225760a0
doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1932.0005
Acetabularia
doi.org/10.1016/S0074-7696(08...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25964...
doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arpla...
doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-461...
doi.org/10.1111/j.1432-0436.1...
doi.org/10.1038/scientificame...
Caulerpa
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen....
doi.org/10.2306/scienceasia15...
doi.org/10.1086/702758
doi.org/10.2307/1311764
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26464...
Image Sources:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:St...
ars.els-cdn.com/content/image...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
mbr.biomedcentral.com/article...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.flickr.com/photos/oregons...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.inaturalist.org/observati...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/bub...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.inaturalist.org/observati...
www.inaturalist.org/observati...

[@ChristophelusPulps]

How humiliating it must feel to be a multi-cell organism who gets eaten by a single-cell organism.

[@tjdelattre2939]

#strengthinnumbers

[@ploopybear]

200 v 1 me bro

[@toothpasteman3400]

@@ploopybear no it is more like "10s of thousands v 1 me bro" because just the microscopic hydra has somewhere around 10,000 cells

[@jonpaulcer3128]

We do die to unicellular organisms tho :'(

[@abdouaboud7490]

@@jonpaulcer3128 that true and also from organisms that don't even have one

[@lochiegriffiths4712]

"Imagine a single cell" **Imagines a small room with bars for windows and doors**

[@viperx2305]

Imagines dbz

[@zerked.]

*jail*

[@wendyrobinson849]

When I think of a cell I think of an old stone room, where the stones are damp and molding, a pile of hay in the corner, a big metal or wood and metal door, a single small barred window, and a corner reserved for sleeping. Dungeon

[@dkmartin1553]

@@wendyrobinson849 and dragon

[@wendyrobinson849]

@@dkmartin1553 dragons* Dungeons and dragons

[@ChaserX17]

I like this version of Snape that abandoned potions for biology.

[@moldoveanu8]

😂

[@warrenerasmus4680]

Genuinely laughed

[@rockinbobokkin7831]

Savage

[@alexiseptimus]

Gained a lot of weight during the quarantine sadly.

[@ChaserX17]

@@alexiseptimus Harry Potter wishes he was that swole.

[@ventithedrunk9506]

So the rest of cellular evolution went "There is power in numbers" but amoebas just said "Nah im good"

[@TantoYTS]

never expected a venti simp here

[@table2.0]

Single called organisms be like: you only have one brain? Pathetic

[@rbda8921]

@@TantoYTS Best waifu(genshin is cringe)?

[@johnschlottman619]

Yea, the whole "power in numbers" idea is a cartoonish over - simplification.

[@brothdian]

@@rbda8921 TRAP*

[@enzomartinmusic]

1:00 "okay it's small, but it makes it a colossus in the unicellular world." That line might be useful, gonna write it down

[@VincentEdelstein]

LMAO me too

[@isaiahwolftail867]

Same

[@_._shinonome_._]

Hmmm

[@rizamalik3020]

Big PP

[@kosherre6243]

L

[@MagicianFairy]

"Biology is weird." Yes.

[@ginnyjollykidd]

And that's what makes it exciting! (Biologist, here.)

[@MisterJackTheAttack]

"Here's the rules of biology, and here's a list of organisms that evolved to ignore those rules."

[@algireaux1364]

Did you there is a turtle or tortoise that pisses out of it's mouth.

[@teamdongkie_9yrs47]

I agree BIOLOGY IS WEIRD

[@k1cubeyt671]

I love animals more than plants always

[@CHIIIEEEEEEEEFFFFSSS]

6:29 the only time a sentence has started with those exact words and wound up being ok.

[@tciddados]

"they were able to work out the structure of cellulose by studying valonia. They were able to look at it up close to see that cellulose is made up of microfibrils, little strands of cellulose" Cellulose is made of cellulose, fascinating

[@purpleemerald5299]

I wonder if the cellulose of cellulose is also made of cellulose...

[@rickyroughton8098]

I think the intent was "this stuff that we thought was sheets and plates is actually tiny little bundled strands! Fascinating!"

[@zee_cooldude2315]

@@rickyroughton8098 yea probably

[@somerandomtouhouenjoyer4879]

@Insomnia_Gaming Don't forget that Bungee Gum has the properties of both Rubber and Gum.

[@JasonSmith-lw3gn]

cellulose is the powerhouse of cellulose

[@jessicap4998]

"Biology is weird" This sums up a most of nature.

[@OmenAhead]

Also one step further than biology, "chemistry is weird". Since all cells (and organisms, ofcourse) are the sum of a few chemical elements and their reactions

[@twistedyogert]

If there are living things on other planets they might not be recognized as living. I.e. we haven't found aliens because they're too "alien".

[@gadlicht4627]

I’m general “truth is stranger than fiction”

[@AngieLikesGirls]

i mean, if we believe evolution, anything goes as long as you're able to survive and procreate, so it kinda feels normal, thinking that way, but yeah, still weird

[@DavidMcCoul]

Well, humans are part of biology...

[@CSGhostAnimation]

Shoot- this isn't the biggest single celled orgasm. I'm lost

[@Aesiris]

Hol’ up

[@ibuprofensaint]

He’s here

[@LoveTheLord77]

Bro what are you doing here?

[@tterygoney6521]

What's an orgasm

[@redd8765]

@@tterygoney6521 google it

[@injunsun]

Just where you ended, I was expecting you to mention the weird outliers who live in rainforests, the slime moulds. They are one giant, multinucleated cell, living on the line between being an animal and a fungus.

[@Matt_From_2006_Game_Wii_Sports]

I told my science teacher about the Valonia Ventricosa about two years back, and decided that humiliating me in front of the whole class was a great way to tell me that I was wrong.

[@azreal4633]

gg

[@MrRobocopster]

What where you wrong about

[@Matt_From_2006_Game_Wii_Sports]

@@MrRobocopster Nothing, she just didn't believe me.

[@lordasuka83h50]

I think I can understand because similar thing happened to me.

[@Nillioh]

I feel salty about this and it didn’t even happen to me

[@RayMak]

My only concern, are they edible?

[@myirlname]

brb edit: no

[@swirlyskyshock1155]

@@myirlname no *d o n ‘ t*

[@SaxandRelax]

@@myirlname NO

[@FranTusajigwe]

@@myirlname DO IT

[@brothdian]

@@myirlname NO NO NO NO NO

[@RANDOMNATION907]

I worked with an old-timer mechanic back in the 80s when my auto tech career was just getting started. He kind of took me under his wing. He had the craziest insults I'd ever heard. One of them was saying a person had a "brain like a seaman's eyeball" .. then he'd pause, and then finish with .. "Only one cell workin" . He'd wink as he delivered the 'punch line' but I never knew, til now, what the 'H' he was talking about. . . . OMG! it all makes so much sense now. .... he wasn't crazy, He was freakin hilarious. Wow, I'm sitting here giggling while typing this as I remember who and under what circumstance he would use that particular dis. ... hey kids, respect your crazy elders. Someday you'll get it too.

[@kylestanley7843]

Wow, that's golden.

[@nowasiwassaying...1699]

Meta AF

[@vuedanto8576]

Uhhhh am I the only one that doesn't get it?

[@FreezyPop]

Can someone explain?

[@totalweirdo8538]

@@FreezyPop The sailor's eyeball was one of the organisms mentioned in the video. It only has one cell, so having a brain like one = you only have one brain cell = you are stupid.

[@EvilGuacamoleGaming]

I always recall my shocked realization when I understood that bird eggs, when unfertilized, are single cells. Realizing that an ostrich egg is a single cell is quite a thing.

[@NasinasTV]

Yeah, but they're not. The yolk and white are not part of the same cell

[@EvilGuacamoleGaming]

@@NasinasTV Wait, they aren't? How would I look up more info on that?

[@ToastGreeting]

@@EvilGuacamoleGaming google

[@derAtze]

There is an eggcell, similar to a mammals, that sits on the membrane of the yolk. If it gets fertilized, it only uses up the nutrition of the yolk, but the yolk itself doesn't divide in multiple cells

[@BuruKyu]

Actually not, the cell is a red dot barely visible in the center of the egg

[@MiketehTV]

I learned that the largest single cell organism was Tyrannosaurus Rex from the mouth of Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo in the Mario movie. Luigi: Which single celled organism did you evolve from? Bowser: Why, Tyrannosaurus Rex, king of the dinosaurs, of course.

[@007megaoof]

Bruh

[@SureYoureRight]

I like your pfp

[@alexdobos9350]

That bully in the back of the class "YOUR MOM IS A SINGLE CELL ORGANISM"

[@misterskeleton_yt7854]

My mom has the hardest outer shell in the world and she dissolves her food with acid spit P.S bullies are her favorite food

[@GioGio7209]

Meanwhile muscle man goes " u know who else is a single celled organisms? MY MOM"

[@IceeFish]

The bully during biology class

[@someoneudontknow3709]

Me oh cool I've been living with a Being that is capable of regeneration and duplication

[@PrismEnvy]

Haha epic Reddit pog meme moment broski

[@uplink-on-yt]

"Plants should be considered unicellular organisms" Well, my thought is the other way: those critters with multiple nuclei should be considered pseudo-unicellular. Having several nuclei in just one cell is just cheating.

[@SpaceGeek2161]

@Qalidurut Maybe we need another classification then: multi-nuclear or single-nucleus (in addition to multi-cellular or single-cell).

[@jamesestrella5911]

@@SpaceGeek2161 mononuclear or polynuclear to keep with Greek naming conventions.

[@TheRedKnight101]

Depends on how the organism becomes multi-nucleate, if an organism is coenocytic it is uni-cellular but produces multiple nuclei, where as a syncytium is a onrganism that is multicellular at first but breaks down the inner cell walls.

[@HairyNun]

That, and plants' cells, while interconnected, can reproduce individually. The single celled organisms in this video have to replicate all at once.

[@AnteBrkic]

Agree

[@MrCubFan415]

4:19 _Spiculosiphon oceana_ : "I'm about to do what's called a pro gamer move."

[@Schtaggy]

alright i know this probably isn't possible but, imagine those large cells connect together and create a larger *thing*

[@silencewench7284]

Seems totally possible. They would just need a reason to evolve like that. Multicellular life supposedly evolved from communities of single cell organisms. I don’t see why (if conditions were met), that the cells wouldn’t be able to evolve to do so.

[@marsar1775]

colonial organisms are also pretty funky. same principle as multicellular life, but each cell in this example is its own multicellular thing. portugese man o war is a good example iirc. evolution cares not for feeble classifications!

[@RayMapa73]

Mega 2 cell organism

[@MrPHBOY]

Ive held a sailor's eye before. It feels like a slightly squishy marble.

[@andresacosta5318]

I read this as “ive had a sailor’s eye before” so i thought you had eaten one

[@mpzakhaevski8988]

@Oshe Shango Who'd you sacrifice?

[@eertikrux666]

Oshe Shango whose heart have you stolen from

[@SolarScion]

That's denser sounding than I would have thought. It's also more disturbing.

[@kipper2100]

It looks like I can pop it with a pin

[@lewistaylor8262]

"Now, of course, we know that's not true" Just the slightest hint of a sassy head wobble

[@ace_w_peck]

That was hilarious once I noticed it

[@marioghioneto1275]

3:10 for whoever wants to see it

[@aemiko8726]

It’s been a while since I watched SciShow AND OH MY GOD HE’S BLINKING NOW

[@labrea5399]

He had surgery for it xx

[@onthefall]

These big single cell organisms makes me remind of when I was learning computer programming for the first time. When I was learning new, I put all the codes in a single block just like these single cell organisms. Even the program is relatively big I kept putting everying in a single block and it was hard to understand anything. I guess nature was doing something similar when nature started coding life and these are the samples of nature's early codes.

[@floweringsilverzero]

Came here expecting acellular slime molds and xenophyophores and instead learned about a whole bunch of creatures I had never heard of. Awesome!

[@boniboni4912]

Also on the same note are Siphonophorae jus giant colonies

[@FartInYourFace234]

🤓

[@ASTRO_BLOX890]

@@FartInYourFace234🤓🔫

[@OldLadyPerfume]

Seen slime molds but what are xenophyophores? And siphonophorae?

[@Lscott-fk2sn]

​@@boniboni4912yeah but they tend to be colonies of multicellular organisms, still probably the best example there is for multi-multi cellular life

[@SquirrelASMR]

2mm for a single cell is massive! They're like visible to a naked eye? Edit: omg and they get bigger as the video goes on?!

[@solar0wind]

The biggest one wasn't even mentioned. Slime molds are just one cell with millions of nuclei, and they can grow to 1.5m^2 easily. The biggest recorded slime mold was 4m^2.

[@evilsharkey8954]

Solar Wind, which slime mold are you talking about. I thought slime molds were aggregate protists when they got big.

[@solar0wind]

@@evilsharkey8954 I learnt the aggregate kind as "false slime mold". I forgot the scientific name. The "true slime molds" are just one big cell with millions of nuclei that can move around. One example would be the species Physarum polycephalum, also known as "Blob" after a slime monster from a movie. There are many cool videos on KZbin.

[@robinsuj]

@@solar0wind I'm thinking how mind-blowing it is that we are related to a being like that. Even if our last common ancestor lived when most being were something more similar to those blobs than to us

[@memespeech]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYrCpoB-bb2jr5I

[@shannonlee4622]

It's been a while since I watched sci show, but I'm happy my man Mike is still around

[@icrazpancakez6360]

Lol I love the “ There just really cool” at the end to make it a 10 min video

[@Wendriel]

The valonia "pirates eye" is commonly called bubble algae, it is a nuisance algae in many reef tanks. If they pop they release spores and spread fast. They're a pain to eradicate as many of the critters that eat them are likely to eat the corals or other sessile invertebrates and sometimes other inverts or fish in the system. I got a coral frag that had 3 of them on the plug and cut the frag off the plug to avoid contamination. There were spores or very small bubbles on the coral and I ended up with an outbreak anyway

[@Wendriel]

Coincidentally many types of caulerpa are a beneficial macroalgae good for growing as a mean fo nutrient export and many are a nuisance that spread rapidly. Some are a balancing act between the two. Keep it happy and it grows fast and takes up nutrients thus keeping the tank clean of micro algae films or upset it and it may reproduce and blanket the system with spores. Many critters won't eat caulerpa so it is difficult to remove. Urchins tend to work rather well tho.

[@HesderOleh]

@@Wendriel Caulerpa Taxafolia is a major nuisance species around the world in the environment.

[@hardstyle3196]

Oof

[@noahkoler]

Are they edible?

[@plutoniumisotope205]

@@noahkoler yeahheyboii

[@NorokVokun]

"If I asked you to picture a single cell..." Ostrich egg... one cell and bigass...

[@kuromyou7969]

If it's fertilized, wouldn't it be two cells?

[@faridconde6591]

Well actually eggs aren't cells by themselves, just like strawberries, which is a multifruit stick to a fleshy body, eggs are gametes living in a huge home. The yolk is not the cell but the vitellus, the structure that gives it's nutrients to the cell.

[@SaschaUncia]

I feel that many of these are only technically single celled. The algae for example lacks discreet cell boundaries but is still full of nuclei which sort of have influence over their own little part of the organism. Those mermaid's wine glasses though, whoa, that's cool!

[@Ejeby]

4:00 capture prey like multicellular sponges 6:00 valonia based plastics like film 8:20 cytoplasmic streaming 9:10 plasmodesmeta

[@samrakita4279]

I'm really digging both this episode AND Michael's quarantine hair!

[@ranolden9717]

Both quarantine hair, and not getting a haircut until he reaches X health goal hair

[@mikeeddward7078]

I grew my hair out too, seems like a lot of guys are gonna have long hair now

[@jackh9654]

Looks like Sasuke, but with a goatee.

[@dallanledford6364]

He should get some bongos and one of those French hats

[@thekingoffailure9967]

Hell yeah long hair gang

[@Heyhey-bm7uw]

And then here's me who learnt that ostrich's egg is the biggest cell on earth

[@sirBrouwer]

it is. but in this case not a single-celled organism but only the start for a multicellular organism. Even thou it is mighty impressive what one single female ostrich can produce. One egg is larger then the head of a adult Ostrich.

[@sirBrouwer]

@@EnigmaticLucas Yes, All (bird) eggs big or small are all one cell.

[@adreabrooks11]

Another fun fact: the ostrich's egg is also the SMALLEST egg, relative to the mother's body mass, among known birds.

[@kinglyzard]

That's a gamete

[@Boogaboioringale]

The egg is mostly protoplasm. The actual “cell “ is microscopic. The rest serves as food for the growing embryo.

[@darlingverse_wc3470]

Can I just say! This guys voice is so nice to listen to.. like I could listen to all day

[@mitkru16]

2:41 Oh, the pioneers used to ride these babies for miles

[@juniormynos9457]

The more we learn how nature works the more we have to rethink how we thought nature works

[@thomasewing2656]

Not to mention ghosts and spirituality!

[@thelonecabbage7834]

Pappy always told me, "Son, find yourself a girl with an elongated macro-nucleus."

[@bewilderment8735]

whats a pappy

[@ilookhuman673]

@@bewilderment8735 The guy who told you he's just going out to get some milk

[@bewilderment8735]

@@ilookhuman673 so, papi?

[@Crab_Shanty]

UNDERRATED COMMENT

[@seantheguy1391]

@@Crab_Shanty how so? It’s got 110 likes as of now.

[@xendordawnburst9969]

I'll be honest, I didn't think there were any cells bigger than a centimeter. Wow!

[@Its_Kat__]

I really enjoyed this video. Thank you Algorithm Gods for bestowing me with this blessing on my feed.

[@jasonchiu272]

Me: Eats multi-colored grapes off the dish The scientists studying Gromia Sphaerica and the Valonia Ventricosa:

[@machina5]

So...?

[@lordfelidae4505]

You ded, boi!

[@markchip1]

"Cytoplasmic streaming" sounds like a podcast variant of SciShow!

[@Shimada.]

WE NEED THIS

[@gamerx3354]

Yes, just yes

[@The_Horizon]

the cursed baseball ball

[@littleking5546]

.

[@woosh-if-gae5772]

Only 5 likes lmao

[@BCBNarjis]

@@woosh-if-gae5772 i donated a like after seeing your comment

[@h20xyg3n]

Loved this one!

[@LeoStaley]

"the soothing voice of Hank Green." Hey, don't laugh, it's true.

[@gib666]

The ASMR vibe is why I cannot watch this otherwise excellent channel. The "soothing" voice is a bit like fingernails down a blackboard to my ears. I like Hank's videos when he speaks normally.

[@unculturedswine5583]

@@gib666 that's the most unique complaint on a video i've seen in some time, though after focusing on the intonation, I do kind of get it, not something i'll normally ever notice but I do feel sorry for you. It'd be nice if you tried to watch more and stopped noticing at some point. Though that might just make it worse.

[@gib666]

@@unculturedswine5583 I have tried watching quite a few Journey to the Microcosmos episodes and unfortunately failed to stop noticing the ASMR vibe. The channel is ideal for my tastes in subject matter, level of information and of course videography however there is still the tone and style of the commentary making me inwardly cringe. I have tried watching with the sound off and subtitles on which is better for me but is a less than ideal way to watch. I know that this is just my personal opinion and that I easily could be in a minority of one on the matter. I will continue to subscribe to the channel and test occasionally to see if there is any change either in the channel or my reaction to it.

[@remconet]

@@gib666 He needs to not edit out pauses and breaths. This video is non-stop talk. It's exhausting and unpleasant.

[@danielpitts6913]

I’m kinda surprised that slime molds weren’t mentioned. Still an awesome video.

[@syd.a.m]

Because slime molds aren't large. They're unicellular, yes, but those large structures that you typically imagine when thinking of slime molds are actually aggregate multicellular structures of many slime mold cells.

[@Nathan52062]

@@syd.a.m many slime mold nuclei not cells so they do fit in here the trumpet liek cell has the same properties so idk why there wasn no slime mold here

[@syd.a.m]

@@Nathan52062 That's because plasmodial slime molds, when they aggregate, they fuse, becoming one giant cell. They essentially start out as multiple different cells that fuse to become one giant cell, so it doesn't quite belong on this list. Journey To The Microcosmos did a video on them, it's a great watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m53UqKFtoJeKrc0

[@alastershelby9076]

My teacher always told me I’d never see a cell with my plain eyes. What a Dummy

[@melektaus6646]

2:37 I wanted him to say "testes" so bad.

[@iron54eagle]

Cool subject and soothing voice. Honestly though, if this guy were to explain the biology of psychic flying parasitic spiders I'd stay calm. So soothing and soft spoken

[@bone8352]

His hair do was really bothering me for some reason though.

[@berryberrykixx]

"Biology is weird." As a Biologist with a minor in Microbiology, I can say, that sentence right there is the truest sentence I've ever heard. #TRUTH

[@RedVRCC]

It would be interesting to dissect the giant green cell. I wonder if the components inside are also enlarged enough to be visible too.

[@naxel37]

This episode was superb!!!!!!!!!

[@annakeye]

Biology is not only weird, dear friend, but what makes it additionally so, is the incredible diversity of life on Earth. We need to show it more love.

[@AngDavies]

These aren't half as weird as some of the multicellular largest cells. the axons of motor neurons from the base of the skull go the length of the entire spine, a meter or more in a human, and potentially 20m or more in a blue whale, how a single nucleus manages to keep all that coordinated is currently quite unknown, seeing as it seems like it would take months at least for stuff to travel from the nucleus to the far end. Even in a human, a meter is quite a long distance for a cell.

[@thekaxmax]

the electric charge travels fast enough

[@AngDavies]

@@thekaxmax yeah, but that charge is mediated by ion channels- proteins that are gonna have to pump in ions, which costs metabolic energy, so need mitochondria to power them, and a cytoskeleton to hold its very specific shape, more protein, what happen when things break down? Suddenly you need a replacement and the DNA to code for that is going to have to come from the nucleus, which is miles away by cell standards, motor proteins move in the micrometers per second. It's weird man

[@AngDavies]

Even the so called "fast" axonal transport takes literal days, each way, in a blue whale? Months, that's some serious lag right there

[@Great_Olaf5]

Yeah, a meter is quite the distance for chemicals to propagate and only react at their intended location.

[@AlbertaGeek]

I think you may have your neuroanatomy mixed up. *An axon is a fibre, not a cell.* It conducts electrical impulses - IOW, no need for a nucleus to "keep all that coordinated". _"a meter is quite a long distance for a cell"_ Again, *not a cell.*

[@phoebe6549]

What a blast from the past is that Michael Aranda? I’m shook, i just came here for some big cells! its been years since ive seen a video with him in it!

[@scottthomas8475]

Awesome video. Really enjoyed. Thank you for such cool knowledge!

[@pauldudley8837]

I love listening to Michael. What a great voice and handsome af too.

[@thekingoffailure9967]

Especially digging the emo hair 🤣

[@rami01248]

1. Stentor coeruleus @ 0:43 2. Gromia sphaerica @ 2:16 3. Spiculosiphon oceana @ 3:28 4. Valonia ventricosa @ 4:01 5. Acetabularia @ 6:04 6. Caulerpa @ 7:51

[@anandsharma7430]

I imagine out there in the universe, there must be planets teeming with very strange kinds of unicellular life as well as small (by human standards) multicellular organisms. If earth life can be so alien, think of what other planet biospheres might have. Probably a lot of the same since form follows function in evolution on Earth. But also a lot of different biological niches and environments mean a lot of different forms too.

[@jackiegarcia8462]

I am addicted to this show

[@NihilisticRealism]

Makes you wonder about the millennia of complexity of life lost to the record. When single cells dominated the landscapes, and were the peak of the evolutionary process (In terms of complexity)

[@LimeyLassen]

Yeah, these things might be living fossils.

[@kinglyzard]

I'm wondering now about how unicellular organisms became multicellular. First came size? Then came elongated macronucleus, many micronuclei? Then multiple macronuclei? Then cell walls and/or membranes between these macronuclei? I can't help thinking about slime molds.

[@rayzen9534]

Thats not peak of evolution process nor complex ,its the simplest🤣

[@misphitgamez8502]

@@rayzen9534 can you read? The comment is talking about before it was multicellular organisms... back to a time where they was the most complex and the peek of the evolutionary process... so busy trynna make someone seem wrong, not realizing you’re wrong and not even comprehending what you’re reading.

[@liviwaslost]

@@rayzen9534 bruh.

[@NoelleIsTheGeoArchon]

”Multicellellur lifeforms are complicated Unicellular: Hold my multiple nucleis.

[@xSoccerFreak7]

Oh my god I haven’t seen this channel in a while and this guy delivers lines the exact same way as hank

[@sonnymcdonald7748]

How fascinating. Something new every day!

[@Judymontel]

You got me with the Acetabularia. When I was studying biology in high school I so loved the way the different DNA and RNA molecules worked that I decided that in my next life I want to be messenger RNA. Just that. So hearing how they send it up to the top of the cell made me kind of swoon - those are magic words to me!!

[@tigertoxins584]

wow, nice life goal man, seriously. No sarcasm or meanliness intended, that’s really sweet.

[@kristaoconnors8878]

Every single one of these looks delicious, and I keep waiting for the part where he tells us how they taste.

[@Weldedhodag]

Not yet, Snake!

[@zz-net9501]

Are we just eat the nuclea *bruh

[@thecamocampaindude5167]

Slime molds could be a close contender, because they're a single cell, but with a metrick ton of nuclei

[@Articulate99]

Always informative, thanks.

[@soranuareane]

I wholly recommend following Journey to Micro. It's such a soothing experience watching all of their videos one after another. Everything is so educational yet so calm. There's never any screaming reaction takes or sudden unnerving surprises. It's always a relaxing experience, which is something we certainly need more of in these troubled times.

[@Shanjaq]

Stentors are spooky, I remember as a kid seeing them through the microscope in pond water dwarfing all the other critters and being like ... this thing could eat everything on this slide and still be hungry :o

[@evilsharkey8954]

They mostly eat tiny stuff, though. Only a few larger ciliates are dumb enough to get eaten.

[@KoreanGeorge]

6:32 Joachim Hämmerling: there's a war going on? no matter, i need to find the secrets behind the nucleus

[@westcoastvibes250]

I just realized I watched the whole video and do not think I fully understood one word you do have a great voice thou

[@pyronix]

I'm so happy to be seeing Michael Aranda in yt still. 💕

[@rogerking7258]

This makes me wonder if life on earth could have easily gone down a different path to that we see today.

[@Laurelin70]

Yes.

[@michielwerring5846]

Yes.

[@IkarosVonVoid]

Yeah if "God" just farted one min later we maybe have 3 eyes.

[@maggie3060]

Yeah evolution is crazy cool. Another cool thing to look into is deep sea giantism. From what I understand the lack of predators allows them to grow larger to conserve heat energy.

[@alexk9642]

Damn imagine a world where every species is different sized and shaped blobs

[@eggyrepublic]

"Picture a single cell" I don't have to imagine, I am a single cell

[@the.SteamingVegan]

I never knew any of this! Fascinating

[@shmuckling]

Easily one of the best episodes in many months, if not years. I've actually been hoping you'd make this for a while.

[@Daracjarac]

Ay congratulations, it's a CELebration.

[@nibui4202]

No

[@EvaHedy]

Big PP

[@brendontompa-clinch2306]

You know where the door is...

[@siyacer]

Reddit momentum

[@gaugereed1845]

Party all day I know you’ve been waiting

[@DeeplyStill]

You explain this so well!

[@MrAnthonyfilms]

Great content fr

[@oldgus01]

My thinking: "Scientists exploring hydrothermal vents off the coast..." *Eldritch horrors, eldritch horrors, eldritch horrors* "...of Sicily" *FALSE ALARM, EVERYONE GO HOME!*

[@wiwaxiasilver827]

Of R’lyeh...

[@falseking989]

Nice Cthulhu reference.

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

To be fair the very idea of giant single celled organisms that can eat multicellular CARNIVOROUS SPONGES is pretty Lovecraftian and weird.

[@inkedseahear]

Close enough

[@deusexaethera]

0:20 - "Daddy, what is the cell on the right doing to the cell in the middle?"

[@intouchkhaoviset9155]

Connecting

[@TheWorldsLargestOven]

Connecting

[@sithdolly]

Yay acetabularia!! I wrote my biology college papers on it. I absolutely love it.

[@isforme2789]

That was so interesting. Thanks 🦠

[@uc22_swo1p]

imagine if we studied all the organisms mentioned in this video and then later in the future people will use that information to make it possible for single cells to repair themselfs without needing other cells for help and even if there membranes are ruptured That would make there regeneration capabilities beyond just division for replacing damaged tissue, and would make it possible for tissue to repair itself! Kind of like how in science fiction, nanobots can repair damaged cells but without even needing advanced technology like nanobots!

[@LuaanTi]

Don't forget that one of the most important things a cell in a multi-cellular body needs to do is... die. Somatic cells are heavily limited because genes that lead to somatic cells that are so limited historically led to more successful bodies (that is, the genes reproducing) than somatic cells that e.g. had unlimited ability to divide. Just think about it from the point of view of the cell - there's a lineage of millions of generations of cells who were germ cells; note how weird it is that you're suddenly expected to _not_ divide uncontrollably :P

[@evilsharkey8954]

Luaan, there’s a word for cells in an animal multiplying uncontrollably and not dying. We’ve been trying to cure it for ages with spotty success.

[@TheRABIDdude]

@@LuaanTi Lunan made a great comment that I'm going to elaborate on. Multicellular organisms are like genetic prisons. Think of your own body cells as reluctant slaves, wanting to divide and pass on their genes but not being allowed to. Every cell in the body contains genes that could let it divide, but they're genetically shackled from doing so most of the time because those genes are tightly regulated or outright deactivated. If a cell gets damaged in any way, some of its genetic material will usually get damaged too, and that means there's a risk it'll be freed from its restraints and regain the ability to divide, becoming cancerous. This small risk is never worth taking for the multicellular organism, so it has evolved to ensure that any time a cell receives moderate damage that cell will be killed (either by in-built self-destruct mechanisms or by a patrolling immune cell like a natural killer cell). From this perspective, you can see why advanced future medicine to fix damaged cell membranes would be a disastrous idea. Before we can reliably cure cancer or repair damaged DNA, patching up heavily damaged cells is not wise. These giant cells have evolved membrane repair because they don't have the luxury of being able to throw away a broken cell ---- they only have one.

[@joshuamena-tornay8557]

​@@TheRABIDdudecancer is not caused by damaged cell membranes only damaged genetic material, being able to fix a damaged membrane may help treat burn victims or crush injuries one day.

[@TheRABIDdude]

@@joshuamena-tornay8557 Read my comment again. In the middle I said "if a cell gets damaged in any way, some of its genetic material will usually get damaged too." This reason for this is 2-fold. One, whatever damaged the membrane (heat, acid, ionizing radiation, physical stress like tearing or crushing) probably directly damaged the DNA too. There are some exceptions though, e.g. emulsifiers. Two, if membranes have been disrupted, many processes and systems in the cell will undergo secondary damage as a result. For instance, cells have a lot of internal membranes for their organelles. If these are damaged, the organelle contents could leak out and do harm. An obvious example would be if a lysosome burst it would spill acid and proteases into the cell cytosol which would damage proteins. Cells regularly get DNA damage from things like UV, and proteins are responsible for fixing/reversing that damage. If a cell's proteins have been damaged, then DNA mutations will begin to wrack up due to lack of repair mechanisms. A damaged mitochondrion or peroxisome membrane would release reactive oxygen species that could mutate DNA directly. So yeah, damaged membrane leads to damaged proteins and DNA by secondary or tertiary effects.

[@rosidmuhtadi6339]

Imagine Hermione granger said that, "valonia ventricossssaaa"

[@vantablacknl]

I love how we look identical with the hair, body and facial hair

[@spych0367]

Okay that " really old way" joke got me nice

[@whitdog_5640]

I once heard of a colony of bacteria that forms a blob that almost acts like an animal. It eats slimy mould and spreads the nutrients throughout the entire colony. I can’t help but think it must have been from a film!

[@0mn1vore]

Slime mold I think. They've done a video about it, but I can't look it up without leaving this video [using app, not browser].

[@0mn1vore]

Ah, found it. Thanks for the like, btw; made it easier to find this comment again. :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4CsXn2ig8h3jNU

[@shriyanv4407]

Sounds like communism! /s

[@solar0wind]

Slime molds are not a colony of bacteria though. True slime molds are one big cell, looking kinda like a huge weirdly formed pancake. I wonder why they weren't mentioned in the video. They should've been on first place.

[@thecoolaxolotlnova8523]

Disapproving Drake: Valonia Ventricosa Approving Drake: *THE BIG SMALL*

[@tkc1129]

That's some crazy stuff!

[@GeometricalParadox]

the type of video that i don’t understand but i like it

[@wonderwend1]

I really can't imagine James chopping up his stentor friends to help the research.....

[@AnteBrkic]

Wait, this guy is James, the "master of microscopy"?

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

No, this man is Michael Aranda, says the description James has shown his face in an early microcosmos video I recall

[@evilsharkey8954]

No, but I’m sure he knows it’s possible. A stentor grabbed by a predatory single celled organism can throw off part of its body and leave as a smaller stentor.

[@CloudyMason]

I've always found these things fascinating I'm excited for this one!

[@jx995]

Hi Joseph!

[@CloudyMason]

@@jx995 Hi! :)

[@zolacnomiko]

I would find scores of Valonia ventricosa washed up on the beaches when I lived in the Caribbean. I was baffled as to what they could possibly be...and then I was excited and astounded when I learned! They are also called bubble algae, and they are great fun to throw at the back of a loved one's head.

[@Sen-ki-]

A single cell eating a multi cell organism would be like a player soloing a whole team by themselves

[@thomasgoodwin2648]

Thanks for putting Hank's face on the voice. I thought it sounded like him. And thank YOU for the great quirky science it would take millions of lifetimes to discover on one's own.

[@hugewangsan3060]

I love the ever evolving body of knowledge we call science. Shatters what we think we know everytime

[@DavidMcCoul]

This was a very interesting video!

[@majike0355]

Originally watched because of curiosity, but stayed the whole 10 minutes because it was really interesting and informative