True Facts: The Self-Sacrificing Amoeba

Check out brilliant.org/zefrank/
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True Facts Poster! ze-true-store.myshopify.com/
Patreon: / truefacts
Classical Music: / 5-audio-track-1
Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Thank you to:
The family of Dr John Bonner, Princeton University
www.princeton.edu/news/2019/0...
Dr Jitka Cejkova, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
droplets.vscht.cz/people/cejkova
Dr Thomas Gregor, Princeton University
phy.princeton.edu/people/thom...
Dr Kathie Hodge, Cornell University
cals.cornell.edu/kathie-there...
Dr Bernard Jenni, Mabritec
/ bernardjenni
Dr Edvin Johannesen, Natural History Museum Oslo
www.nhm.uio.no/
/ slimemold
Kent Loeffler, Cornell University
www.plantpath.cornell.edu/plan...
Alberto Melappioni
/ albertomelappioni
Dr Fred Spiegel, University of Arkansas
www.researchgate.net/profile/...
Cornell Center for Fungal Biology
ccfb.cornell.edu/
Education Development Center
www.edc.org/
TGLab, Princeton University
tglab.princeton.edu/
UMass Amherst Libraries
Citations:
Bianchi, E., Doe, B., Goulding, D. et al. Juno is the egg Izumo receptor and is essential for mammalian fertilization. Nature 508, 483-487 (2014). doi.org/10.1038/nature13203
Bloomfield G, Paschke P, Okamoto M, Stevens TJ, Urushihara H. Triparental inheritance in Dictyostelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Feb 5;116(6):2187-2192. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1814425116. Epub 2019 Jan 22. Erratum in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Feb 25;: PMID: 30670662; PMCID: PMC6369745.
Bonner, J.. (2008). The social amoebae: The biology of cellular slime molds. The Social Amoebae: The Biology of Cellular Slime Molds.
Dormann D, Weijer CJ. Imaging of cell migration. EMBO J. 2006 Aug 9;25(15):3480-93. doi: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7601227. PMID: 16900100; PMCID: PMC1538568.
Kurato Mohri, Ryodai Tanaka, Seido Nagano, Live cell imaging of cell movement and transdifferentiation during regeneration of an amputated multicellular body of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, Developmental Biology, Volume 457, Issue 1, 2020, Pages 140-149, ISSN 0012-1606, doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.....
Kuwana S, Senoo H, Sawai S, Fukuzawa M. A novel, lineage-primed prestalk cell subtype involved in the morphogenesis of D. discoideum. Dev Biol. 2016 Aug 15;416(2):286-99. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.06.032. Epub 2016 Jun 29. PMID: 27373689.
Mori M, Yao T, Mishina T, Endoh H, Tanaka M, Yonezawa N, Shimamoto Y, Yonemura S, Yamagata K, Kitajima TS, Ikawa M. RanGTP and the actin cytoskeleton keep paternal and maternal chromosomes apart during fertilization. J Cell Biol. 2021 Oct 4;220(10):e202012001. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202012001. Epub 2021 Aug 23. PMID: 34424312; PMCID: PMC8404465.
Orvieto, Raoul & Shimon, Chen & Rienstein, Shlomit & Jonish-Grossman, Anat & Shani, Hagit & Aizer, Adva. (2020). Do human embryos have the ability of self- correction?. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 18. 10.1186/s12958-020-00650-8.
Prabhakara, K.H., Gholami, A., Zykov, V.S., & Bodenschatz, E. (2017). Effects of developmental variability on the dynamics and self-organization of cell populations. New Journal of Physics, 19.
Smith TS, Pineda JM, Donaghy AC, Damer CK. Copine A plays a role in the differentiation of stalk cells and the initiation of culmination in Dictyostelium development. BMC Dev Biol. 2010 Jun 2;10:59. doi: 10.1186/1471-213X-10-59. PMID: 20525180; PMCID: PMC2890595.
Raper, Kenneth B., and Dorothy I. Fennell. “Stalk Formation in Dictyostelium.” Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 79, no. 1 (1952): 25-51. doi.org/10.2307/2482103.
Uchikawa T, Yamamoto A, Inouye K. Origin and function of the stalk-cell vacuole in Dictyostelium. Dev Biol. 2011 Apr 1;352(1):48-57. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.01.014. Epub 2011 Jan 21. PMID: 21256841.

[@zefrank]

Go to brilliant.org/zefrank/ to learn! First 200 people get 20% off the annual Premium subscription.

[@clibothy]

Cool but I’m broke

[@Lord.Smith.the.first.]

Do a video on the Canadian marble fox

[@Hueys_are_the_best_heli]

Noice vid

[@RLaraMoore]

😳

[@lbrm4349]

❤

[@DanGamingFan2846]

My mom and I would always watch these when they came out and loved everyone of them. This is the first one I had to watch without her. I know she would have loved it too.

[@zefrank]

:( sorry about your loss.

[@InThisEssayIWill...]

I watch them with my son, if it helps to know that other people are carrying on the tradition. Condolences for your loss. 💚

[@VioletE420]

That's rough. I'm glad she was at least able to leave you with so many good memories of her. ❤️

[@DanGamingFan2846]

Thank you all. Yes, she was an awesome lady.😊

[@karn_night1]

My parents got me into nature and I'm really happy to have shared these with them. Upon finding this video I literally called then straight up and told them they had to watch it like asap, I was only 3 mins in and already had my mind blown several times 😅 sorry for your loss bro, I'm sure your ma is watching them with you in spirit 🙏

[@pi6141]

It's so fascinating that a single-celled organism can have such a complicated herd-ish behavior.

[@Argonwolfproject]

Well, we (and all multicellular organisms) are just herds of single-cell critters with extreme specializations.

[@benthomason3307]

they're probably a relic form when life hadn't quite figured out multicellularity yet.

[@lenarianmelon4634]

@@benthomason3307 they could also just be regular modern organisms who survive because this way of life still works.

[@mozarteanchaos]

it's really amazing what single-celled organisms can do; sometimes they almost seem like little animals! combined with the weird things plants get up to, it does make me wonder if neurons are _really_ required for even a very basic level of thought... eh, even if it turns out they can't really think, it's still very impressive of 'em

[@lacybookworm5039]

@@lenarianmelon4634 Same difference

[@ZephyrinSkies]

That "mom genes, kill me" pun was so subtle and stealthily, made it that much more hilarious.

[@SalahEddineH]

I love his "kill me" after having to read horrible puns.

[@picklesthewise]

This system has better organization than a lot of companies I've worked for.

[@chezmoi42]

They are actually renowned for their problem-and puzzle-solving abilities, like finding the shortest way out of a maze - or to look at it another way, planning out the most efficient delivery routes.

[@jasonchiu272]

@@chezmoi42 I thought that was slime mold or am I wrong?

[@chezmoi42]

@@jasonchiu272 You are correct, and this is one of many slime molds. Did you see Ze Frank's latest video?

[@imnotyourfriendbuddy1883]

every company i've worked for

[@sreeser3512]

When I was in college, I had a professor who genuinely used True Facts videos in his lesson plans. Awesome teacher. I can already picture him practically jumping for joy about this one!

[@tcaDNAp]

Making Ze feel old, not that it's a bad thing 😂

[@crgkevin6542]

Ha, same! Had multiple profs use True Facts in lectures. Fun times...

[@biggusdickus2166]

i had a lab in uni show the frog one. dont remember what the lab was about or what class. Either vertebrate form and function( the one where you dissect cats/salamanders/small sharks) or diversity of animals(the one where you dissect the invertebrate of the week)?

[@TK-ij2xi]

As a mom & wife I get excited to share it too! But my kids and husband are never as enthused...I may have to become a teacher just so I have someone to share it with!!

[@orneryoverwatch7031]

Damn what a reality check.. paying thousands of dollars and going into debt to learn stuff from youtube videos that you could just as easily have watched at home🤐

[@theman6422]

A bit confused, but alright I’ll watch again

[@sabrinanelsen8660]

Why are so many of us broken in the same way?

[@CommanderSal]

Agreed!

[@VioletE420]

Same.

[@LordZombitten]

Likewise

[@Iluvpie6]

Was it as good the second time?

[@ShadowNinja2121]

I took a class and one unit went very in depth about this species. Some cool follow up facts. 1. When the “slug” eventually releases its spores, those spores usually carry bacteria in them to sort of “plant” into the new environment and than cultivate as a food source. It’s like a farmer bringing a herd of sheep to new ranch and it is wild. 2. When two different clone groups create a slug the slug is called a “chimera” 3. Cheating in this species in chimeras, as explained in the video, is actually one of the single craziest things in biology. The species has developed a handful of ways to combat cheating, for example some genes that result in a clone not helping produce the stalk cause it to adhere less to more altruistic clone types meaning it can’t “piggyback” as well and just falls off the slug. (There are A ton more crazy interactions for cheating and controlling cheating, but this is already too long)

[@christine4223]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing. Definitely not too long, by the way.

[@williamethier6684]

This never too long, TELL ME MORE

[@MrPasympa]

I most definitely desire to read more of this

[@cygnet6]

not too long pls tell me more

[@fandomguy8025]

The power of cooperation is with them. So many analogues to our societies, which can be considered superorganisms & even look a bit like certain slime molds (But not this one. Well, until we make space elevators to get off this finite rock I guess) Recent research into history in the field of Cliodynamics has even shown how Civilization began as humans got together to steal resources/defend themselves from other societies stealing resources (Typically farming vs non but also 2 farming with different culture). Which was important due to population growth. In our modern industrial/trading age though, things are different & wars are mainly fought for ideological reasons which makes them rarer. It makes sense, given that instead of genes, societies have memes, that is, culture/ideologies.

[@bojay_b]

I am still amazed at how you used to be the "I'll say what I want even if it's wrong because its funny" guy and now you've done a whole switcharoo being the "I'll say what I want because it's funny but I won't spread false information" guy. It makes me so happy

[@D3wd20p]

I still hope, someday, True Facts makes a return to hedgehogs. Properly. I mean creepy Dave doesn't really count, I don't think.

[@StephBer1]

This was actually fascinating. The whole Amoeba trying to find food quest was a literal representation of the Mullet - Business in the front, Party in the Back.

[@neoqwerty]

I'm dying at this description so thank you

[@supersecret4899]

That's actually a funny comparison haha

[@joyporcella81]

Yea thanks for that!!!! Lol

[@LucianCorrvinus]

That would explain why the "finger" falls over...it's stinking drink....

[@That80sGuy1972]

Mullet... thanks for the giggle. Amoebas are also, despite being single-celled creatures, are one of the most evolved creatures on Earth... more so than the cockroach. Fear the day that they evolve to not need to live in the water.

[@ObservantPiratePlus]

I had no idea that Amoebas had such a complex life cycle. I had thought they simply divided to reproduce, and that's it.

[@KNylen]

this is just one type of amoeba- the largest classification is an order, while these guys (Dictyostelium) are a genus. so there are many more types of amoeba out there that are that simple (im no expert on this stuff tho, someone else pls correct me if im wrong)

[@EmperorNeuro220]

You are correct insofar as there are ameobae with such simple life cycles as that, but 'Ameoba' is not a taxonomic term. Rather, it is a common name describing any unicellular organism that is capable of altering it shape and moving with psuedopodia. (also not an expert I just think this stuff is cool.)

[@benthomason3307]

it's actually not an ameoeba, it's a slime mold.

[@KNylen]

@@benthomason3307 a slime mold is a type of amoeba

[@KNylen]

@@EmperorNeuro220 yeah, i was referring to the order Amoebida. thanks for the info tho

[@BlissfulMisanthrope]

“Somewhere between a hug and a horror film” line got me crying with laughter resulting in tummy pain! My ab exercise for today-Done!

[@anonnymousperson]

Again zefrank manages to disguise learning as humour. I fell for it again.

[@purplehaze2358]

“It’s somewhere between a hug and a horror film” God, that statement is just.. subtly genius. Not even a minute-and-a-half in the video and there’s already a banger quote.

[@carissamace]

You would think so Doctor. Wouldn’t that also describe 173 pretty well?

[@peggedyourdad9560]

Like imagine someone coming to give you a hug and then just absorbing into their body.

[@Bluecho4]

"Everybody, into the cuddle puddle!"

[@Fuck_handles]

@@peggedyourdad9560 wasn't it called vore?

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@Fuck_handles sigh… Yes, I guess you could count that as a type of vore.

[@PrydeWater901]

I’m so glad that Jerry and I weren’t left in suspense about the pizza. It perfectly explained the mating habits of a single-cell organism.

[@amentlik]

@2:22 literally gasped. Nature is insane!

[@Tandee52]

In the 70s, I did my senior project on Dictyostelium discoidium when I was a Biology major at Simmons College. At that time, undergrads were required present a thesis on original work in their senior year to graduate. I spent many many hours in the lab just feeding these little buggers trying to keep them alive to study. Paid off. Used a vital dye to stain them getting beautiful photos of cellular restructuring during stages of the differentiation process with an electron microscope. Back then, dickies were of interest in cancer research.

[@gravitydefyingturtle]

It's been amazing watching this series over the years. You started off as an affectionate parody of a Morgan Freeman narration, and you've turned it into your own thing that is both educational and hilarious.

[@SD.EviL.EsKiMo]

Educationally hilarious, or hilariously educational. 😋

[@jeanproctor3663]

Best way to learn isn't it? Genuinely brilliant videos and narration.

[@SaintofQuartz]

There is a book, "a short history of nearly everything" that has a part where the author talks to a guy who studies slime molds. The author is somewhat bewildered by the man's interest, but this video totally makes the fascination obvious.

[@alisaurus4224]

Author Bill Bryson! Love his work

[@samprada9298]

It's a good book

[@jacforswear18]

Learning about slime molds in Bio 1 in uni was honestly the highlight of my brief science career. They are fascinating!!

[@gatordragon8824]

@@alisaurus4224 i hate that man. I work in a library and his books DON'T MOVE. They're shelf wasters. Sometimes I get to weed them tho, which means Bryson goes to the literal dumpster. I like that.

[@alisaurus4224]

@@gatordragon8824 oh no! Have you tried reading him though? Every book of his I’ve read is endlessly fascinating and full of literal LOLs

[@axelprino]

I had no idea that the life cycle of an amoeba was this nightmarish, it's like something out of a sci-fi horror story.

[@pinkpanther2288]

No No No ☝🏻its between A Hug & A Horror Movie😶 😂

[@echognomecal6742]

I want this as a cartoon movie. Including the very important point that the Pink Panther made...& I want super secret easter eggs of the Pink Panther in it. Also I want pizza & cookies & a piloted helicopter, as long as I'm asking for stuff. (Money. Also money.)

[@elishatea]

Man I wish I I could show this to my high school biology class. I might have to isolate a couple of very specific clips to use, because this is not only informative and entertaining, but it has some of the best footage of protists I've been able to find!

[@echognomecal6742]

Another comment here says that he makes school-friendly versions. Fingers crossed that it's true!!! :)

[@elishatea]

@@echognomecal6742 He does! I think I found the school-friendly version of this very video actually.

[@josueb.a7864]

When I started watching this series I was in highschool. This year I got my bachelor in Biology! You are still making awesome, inspiring videos! Always a pleasure to watch.

[@Peace_And_Love42]

Congrats on your degree!

[@travcollier]

The NSF should give zefrank a grant. BTW: What type of bio? I'm evolutionary and pop gen, mostly doing bioinformatics these days.

[@josueb.a7864]

@@travcollier I'm not from the U.S. so my bachelor is just biology. Currently working on my masters in Ecology. My thesis was in morphological evolution in Araucaria genus though! I am still do working with Araucaria angustifolia communities :)

[@travcollier]

@@josueb.a7864 Neat. I know very little about plants... their population biology is just too complicated for me ;) I've mostly worked on mosquitos, and collaborated with quite a few folks from Brazil over the years. Good luck to you.

[@josueb.a7864]

@@travcollier Brazil does have a lot of mosquitoes, haha Thanks for your comments. And good luck for you too! :D

[@theschauff]

I love all of this but the last 30 seconds in particular are some of my favorite jokes this series has ever produced

[@pfadiva]

Especially the one about the side of ranch..."you can dip his toes in it." I laughed so hard I startled the cat.

[@joytee4967]

@@pfadiva 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ScoutSarge]

@@pfadiva I just laughed out load at work with that bit and now every cube around me is looking at me like I've lost it. Thank you!!

[@Speadraser]

Thank you for this comment. Long time fan of Zefrank. Ditto sentiment.

[@kathrynmceachern9503]

Mom jeans!

[@cavetrollvillageidiot3095]

Remember how we all thought Egon was a weirdo for collecting slimes, spores, and fungi? Now we know why he was so fascinated with them.

[@riversong4997]

Lol I always loved Egon 😁

[@rebecculousrk]

So cool! I’m an amateur mycologist, and in particular I enjoy mushroom and fungus photography. Slime molds are among my favorite subjects, especially when I can find them in those gorgeously detailed fan shapes, like trees or veins, those lovely fractals found in nature. And in hallucinatory oranges and yellows. Seeing the science illuminates them for me, deepening my appreciation and affection for the wee weirdies!

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

*amateur* mycologist…I am not sure that there is any such thing. I do know that if my aunt had balls she would be my uncle. Minimum qualifications for mycologist and research mycology roles include a Ph. D. or master's degree in mycology, ecology, fermentation, forest pathology, or biology. If you are *not* the owner of any or all of these degrees and merely take photos, then you are not a mycologist of any sort but at most an photographer and observer of life. That’s not a sin, but at least if you say that, you will not lying to make yourself feel important.

[@nandarox528]

Ze is literally one of the only content creators that I don't skip when they do their sponsors.

[@lullabi3234]

you just made me realize, me too! What a weird show of respect, ha ha!

[@Deacaros]

I do. I don't care about advertisement. Feel free to feel a good guy to support somebody by watching an ad. I'm not watching a thing I don't want to.

[@63M1N1]

try daniel thrasher, they're goden

[@rk_0u879]

Me too. He just knows how to make them interesting, plus his voice and articulation is extremely engaging.

[@David-bc4rh]

@@Deacaros I always feel free to feel a good guy!

[@FallenDivaLabRat]

This one really made me realize how mind-bogglingly insane it is that our planet even exists and has created an environment where something like this can happen

[@ritawilbur7343]

Creatures like this are proof that God exists - and that He is a 12 year old boy who doesn't take His ADHD medication

[@bengushlaw1379]

@@ritawilbur7343 yeah no, there isn't any "proof" of any magic man in the sky 😂

[@zoyadulzura7490]

@@ritawilbur7343 That's not something provable. I take creatures like this as illustrative of how amazing, strange, and beautiful chemistry and evolution are.

[@Galiaverse]

@@ritawilbur7343 People always gush and praise God for the beauty of flowers and the birds and the cute majestic animals of land and sea. They don't seem to want to think about the God of those mantis-splitting worm parasites or the creepy hairy tarantulas, or grinning toothy deep-sea monstrosities, or innards-spitting sea cucumbers... or mass converging amoebas. God is amazing, awesome, wonderful for sure. But God is also cool and edgy and likes explosions.

[@ritawilbur7343]

@@Galiaverse Exactly! I can't understand why Jesus didn't say, "Consider the hagfish of the sea, how they ooze..."

[@FireMonkeyX5]

6:50 Woah! That looks like a cluster of stars or galaxies! Very pretty!

[@julianofmemes9289]

Imagine being a pizza delivery guy, having years in the job and have the right to say “i’ve seen it all” Then getting to a door, the person lets you in, lets you eat the pizza, then makes you dip your toes in ranch for an extra bundle.

[@bigboredthing]

I'm a biologist, but I specialise in entomology and physiology so I don't do a whole lot of work on the microscopic level, so this is a real eye-opener for me, what a fascinating field of study. Amazing little critters.

[@The_Razielim]

I did my PhD studying the signaling cascade in response to cAMP during that starvation>aggregation transition, and this whole video just made me really happy. Dicty don't get nearly enough love, even though (and I love that he mentioned this) they are one of the most common models for cell motility and studying macrophages/other chemotactic cells.

[@annienan7634]

@@The_Razielim Where do these live in nature? 🤔

[@The_Razielim]

@@annienan7634 Soil / damp leaf litter primarily. They just crawl around in the soil, eating bacteria/yeasts they come across until they've depleted that food source.

[@WhatIsSanity]

@@The_Razielim They're microscopic predators?

[@The_Razielim]

@@WhatIsSanity That's one way of looking at it. The video showed a macrophage chasing down things in a blood smear, we often use Dictyostelium as a model for studying that behavior since a lot of the cellular mechanisms and processes involved are very similar, albeit simpler. It wasn't talked about much here, since their most interesting behavior is of course the aggregation and fruiting body development after starvation, but it's really cool how they hunt bacteria. Similarly to how he discussed in the video, when they are able to sense cyclic AMP (cAMP) and move towards the source during the aggregation-stage... during their vegetative/amoebic-phase, they will behave similarly in response to folic acid and other bacterial secondary metabolites released into the environment. They are able to sense the concentration gradient of the chemical in the environment, and move in that direction. A lot of the cellular processes involved in these two functions (hunting during vegetative growth, and aggregation during starvation) have a lot of overlap in the signalling and cytoskeletal regulation, since they're similar processes, just to different target molecules. A huge oversimplification, but I can't stress how cool these things are when you really look at them.

[@Christodoulos-J]

I did my senior project on Dictyostelium discoidium when I was a Biology major at the Air Force Academy. I got an A. The Biology Department professors loved it. Amazing how they differentiate and work together (the slime molds, not the professors). Thanks for this video. Brough back some great memories.

[@danatowne5498]

LOL

[@chezmoi42]

@Janitor Queen They are indeed slimy when in movement, and have long been a mystery organism confused with fungi. Though they can resemble molds, they are a totally different thing. Perhaps the most common manifestation is Fuligo septica, commonly known as 'dog's vomit' or 'witch's butter'. In its mobile stage, it forms a yellowish blob that feeds on rotten wood and plant debris, and is also often seen on grass or leaves. The slime molds, also known as 'myxomycetes', are fascinating, and have surprising properties. Check out an article called 'Collective behaviour and swarm intelligence in slime moulds', for a real eye opener.

[@mikedrop4421]

Glad you clarified

[@Animallovercomedian]

Everyone knows professors don’t differentiate nor work together

[@TheRABIDdude]

@Janitor Queen The video explains that it's a slime mold at 0:24. It's a misnoma, because unlike actual molds, this is NOT a type of fungus. Slime molds are a type of Protista, a separate kingdom from Animals, Plants, and Fungi.

[@andfoundout]

This episode is special because he's just geeking out about how much he loves these weird creatures, that 'I'm passionate about this' voice is just so sweet

[@cinamick2114]

7:27 therapist: what do you see? “I dunno” therapist: WHAT DO YOU SEE MARK?

[@Epic0Studios]

This is one of the best yet. What an unbelievably strange being. Thank you for your incredibly diverse array of topics but the same consistent level of quality. You're the best!

[@kaylawolf7689]

Yes! Absolutely the best! 👍

[@ginaharden2111]

..."..an unbelievably strange being" - what or who?...Ze or the amoeba? jk :D

[@travelservices1200]

@@ginaharden2111 That's what I was wondering.

[@TaranVH]

Fascinating. It's like a bizzare mash up between single and multicellular life.

[@RYEANkindaAWESOME]

I have Been watching you for years. Since high school and throughout college. Always found your videos interesting and will continue to watch through veterinary school.

[@mononoke721]

It's both beautiful and humbling at the same time to consider that, in essence, us multicell organisms really aren't that different from single cell ones - we're all self-dividing/self-propogating, we just have different means of going about it. I do like the stuffed pizza delivery guy idea though, maybe we should try that one too!

[@missbee431]

Jerry is full of great questions. Also, “tube-like snot condom” is a series of words that will take the rest of my life to forget…😬

[@Gurak_Frostwalker]

You won't forget it after your life ends. Even if nothing exists after life.

[@profmendoza]

Tube Like Snot Condom will be the name of my next band.

[@montanateri6889]

the kind with little... pieces in it. UG...

[@sabinal17]

@@profmendoza make t shirts 😉

[@dsloop3907]

@@profmendoza OMG

[@peehandshihtzu]

"Clones of a different amoeba" really sounds like a #1 hit from a one hit wonder from the 1970's Billboard charts.

[@neoqwerty]

Sounds like it should be a Mike Oldfield track TBH

[@peehandshihtzu]

@@neoqwerty Yes! That! :)

[@danatowne5498]

Or a prog rock album title :)

[@peehandshihtzu]

@@danatowne5498 That too! :)

[@deprofundis3293]

"Somewhere between a hug and a horror film" 🤣🤣🤣 It's for these moments that I frigging love your videos!

[@spectrumom1]

10:50 How dare you! Spare him his dignity and do barbecue sauce like a normal human.

[@ChronosTachyon]

The part about feeding the delivery guy your stuffed crust pizza and then eating him was the moment where I started to belly laugh.

[@widget3672]

As always, the little off topic conversations with Jerry really just ties up the whole thing beautifully

[@queenbee3647]

Jerry is pure gold! Just ask....Jerry!

[@echognomecal6742]

Jerry knows not how useful he unintentionally is. (He wrote that sentence for me.)

[@dimitiandoss]

ZF: 'Mom-jeans joke' ZF a millisecond later: "Kill me."

[@janetl395]

I swear, kids would learn WAY more and retain more of what they learned if all teachers were like Ze Frank💯

[@demon12792]

Had a science teacher in high school with a simular level of humor. He understood that complex and boring things were easier to learn if taught a way that didn't cause stress. So jokes, puns, test that were way too easy if you referred back to jokes he made about the subject the previous day. Only thing he hated to talk about was the big bang and evolution. Christian scientist. He loved to talk about how Palaeontologist age fossils based on the depth they are found in ground. Palaeontologist "This fossil is 1000 years old because it's found in this layer of earth." My teacher "Ok how do you know how old that layer is?" Paleontologist "Because it's the layer of dirt we find this specific fossil type in" And repeat. Actual conversation he told the class he had with a Palaeontologist trying to expand his knowledge of our world. Had his class in 2009 and can remember it better than the rest of the classes I took.

[@nunyafunyuns]

I've been watching nature documentaries for over 30 years and this is my first encounter with these amoeba slugs. That is truly amazing how these colonies of amoeba do. Thank you for helping keep me in learning mode. Nature is a mad scientist and I love it. Zthanks Zfrank

[@asdisskagen6487]

I am old and have only today stumbled upon this goldmine of witty videos. This is almost as good as winning the lottery. I'm just sad that I am only discovering these now, but that's offset by knowing there are now more videos to binge watch. My hat is off to you, Sir - if all science teachers were as entertaining as you, the United States would be entirely made up of science hippies. Cheers!😂

[@kathrynmceachern9503]

Welcome to the amazing world of ZeFrank! (I would have told you about him earlier, but I don't believe we know each other...) Enjoy your time here! I recommend the one about... All of them are the absolute best!

[@charlieevergreen3514]

ZeFrank has versions with naughty humor, and versions that are cleaned up, for teachers to use in the classroom. Great stuff.

[@HerculesBallsInc]

Oh to be watching them all for the first time! You're in for a wild ride! Watch out for the giraffes!

[@ThestuffthatSaralikes]

I’m kinda jealous of you!! You get to watch all the comedic science genius for the first time!! I will randomly start giggling when I see a mosquito and MUST say sassily, “HELLO!”… you’ll get it when you watch that one. Lol!! Have fun!!

[@ThestuffthatSaralikes]

@@HerculesBallsInc LOL!! For me it’s “HELLO!” Whenever I see a mosquito.

[@wimsylogic65]

Do you have any audio books? I really enjoy the sound of your voice. I think listening to your read stories would be absolutely wonderful. You could read through a story book and make comments as you're reading. I look forward to your videos as soon as they come out. Thank you for all you put in Into making them. They bring me a lot of joy and I appreciate it. thank you again. I wish you good health and well being.

[@clockworkkirlia7475]

What a lovely comment! If I knew of any audiobooks he had done, I'd definitely share them; I concur on every point.

[@patrick7247]

I'm so glad that you came back to KZbin Mr. Zefrank, thank you for your content.

[@MrsGarks]

One of THE most fascinating topics I've learned about in a long while. As always, great job, Zefrank

[@ProjectThunderclaw]

This really goes to show that the difference between single-celled and multicellular life is more of a spectrum than a hard line. In many ways, the human body is just a particularly complicated colony of amoeba.

[@chezmoi42]

That it is. Our moods, and indeed our health, depend on their smooth functioning.

[@fandomguy8025]

@@chezmoi42 Those that cheat, we call cancer.

[@pancakes8670]

And then those Amoeba are basically just a particularly complicated, extended Chemical reaction.

[@ChristyThompson1221]

SO happy to have you back doing these. I love them so much!!!

[@lightinmanyways]

It's honestly amazing to see how the simplest of things can be so complex! It gave me the chills

[@kaloofy3500]

I’ve always found these events incredible, it’s so interesting to think about because, in a way, these collections of completely independent cells working together and sacrificing themselves for each other is likely evidence of how early life started to form multicellular life, or it can at least give us clues. It’s incredibly fascinating.

[@kabj06]

exactly what I was thinking

[@Argonwolfproject]

Personally I find the distinction between colonial single-cell organisms and multicellular organisms to be rather arbitrary. Even if the colony creates a meta-organism of higher intelligence (i.e. us) it's still just an aggregation of microscopic creatures.

[@lenarianmelon4634]

@@Argonwolfproject well there are multicellular organisms that can be less complex than colonial single-celled organisms. In fact, there's a lot of them.

[@embie5119]

This is exactly what I was thinking! Cell specialization. And the fact that the entire thing is just a complex set of chemical reactions blows my mind too.

[@deitachan7878]

@@Argonwolfproject I think the main thing is that colonial single-cell organisms can still survive and reproduce and such on their own. For multicellular organisms, no single cell really is able to survive on its own. Though that might just be to prevent cancer as there are cancer cells that can survive and reproduce on their own

[@patkircher2552]

Love you!! Just wished I’d had you as a teacher. I may have grown more excited about learning and not bored out of my mind. I do so enjoy your videos and the innuendo's are just hysterical. Please don’t ever get rid of Jerry because you guys kill me. Thanks for making it fun and interesting to learn something new. God bless and don’t ever give up. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️👍🏼😘

[@icallmysugarcandy]

ZeFrank getting rid of Jerry would be like Tom getting rid of Jerry. Or Ben getting rid of Jerry…. I just can’t bear the thought! 😳

[@patkircher2552]

@@icallmysugarcandy absolutely 👍🏼😂❤️

[@creeper8647]

Fantastic! Videos haven't held my attention for months. This one did. Thank you.

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

I couldn’t begin to imagine the work and research that goes into a video like this. Bravo Mr Frank.👍🏻

[@damionlee7658]

Over the years, these True Facts commentaries just keep getting better. Lots of great information, and some really cleverly constructed visualisations that are simply hilarious. I'll never look at the pizza boy the same way again!

[@SparkTheLeveler]

I’m truly humbled to have the legendary Zefrank dedicate an entire episode of True Facts to Dickie-kind.

[@stacys8729]

Thanks! / You are my absolute favorite creator/channel. I'been a fan for a long time.

[@daffy1567]

Thanks again Ze Frank, I always know that I’m going to learn something and have a good laugh when whenever I go to watch any of your videos. It’s not very often that I can find any movies or youtube videos that makes laugh as much as your videos. Please keep them coming.

[@mariorodriguez-ws4xs]

0:51 what a description

[@soyburglar1878]

Imagine being one of the first scientists to use a microscope, seeing these things for the first time, and trying to figure all of it out. Looking at some aspects of what humanity has become, it honestly amazes me that we’ve been able to figure out all that we have.

[@Patrick-ng1vg]

9:55 when the cell is sus

[@sentientimaginary]

god i just love every bit of slime molds. they're so wonderful and their reproductive structures are incredibly diverse in color, texture, and form

[@jakereich]

I spent a couple of years working with Dicty as a post-doc, and this was a good overview of much of their biology! One thing I think you missed: not only can they develop to a multicellular structure, but if this process is disrupted, the slug or mound cells will happily de-differentiate back to free-living cells. This is why Dicty are studied with respect to cellular reprogramming and stem cells etc.

[@Lmaonoshot]

He said that that chemical signal will draw in different species of amoeba? Is that true?

[@jakereich]

@@Lmaonoshot It's definitely true that different strains of the same species will be drawn in, and (without looking it up) I think it is true that some different but somewhat related species will also respond to the signal. When, for example, two strains mix and form a colony, some strains go more to the spore, and are referred to as "cheaters" . My (untested) theory was that there might be scenarios where it is actually advantageous to be the pre-stalk cells. For instance, since they are more easily shed from the slug, maybe they can de-differentiate faster if the slug encounters food.

[@emitaylor4094]

Where do the Dicty live? Is this just happening in the dirt all over the place?

[@jakereich]

@@emitaylor4094 Again, off the top of my head, they are most abundantly found in damp soil, forest floor, under logs etc. But I never collected Dicty from the wild. I think you can basically take some dirt, suspend in water, and put some liquid on an agar plate with the right media and you should get Dicty colonies growing.

[@BBBros87]

He didn't miss what you'd said... 4:07

[@appletree3541]

Me:*watches the video Zefrank:*uploads it again Me:oh ok guess im gonna rewatch it

[@eddshaeburner]

I'm trying to figure out; is there any difference between the original vid and this re-upload?

[@flygod1313]

fantastic. Always a joy when you upload

[@Kariakas]

So smooth and well produced. Fascinating subject also, the versatility of very simple life forms can be shocking.

[@ApetureTestSubject]

With every new episode, there's always at least one moment that makes me stop and marvel at the sheer amazing ways of nature. Something that I didn't know, and now am so happy to have learned. And watching all those amoebas converge into slugs... That was spectacular.

[@SaintofFables]

I love how weird single cell organisms are. These guys make me me think that the first multi cellular entities were some of these ‘slugs’ that started to just stay as a slug and hunt bigger prey

[@roidrannoc1691]

I love how we humans tried to divide the world between unicellular organisms and pluricellular organisms. And then we found out things like that. Between a highly specialized unicellular colony and a simple pluricellular organism, the line is thin. Also sometimes some of our own cells are out there going back to unicellular. They just "want" independance and live as unicellular organism. We call them cancer...

[@diocletian607]

Well most life derives nutrition by eating other organisms. The destiny of most things is to die by being eaten by something else.

[@SpaceCowboy46]

This is the greatest way to learn. I really appreciate the way you explain things. The humor is just the cherry on top. I wish schools had this when I was coming up.

[@valkyrie1066]

Okay, your stuff is eye-wateringly hysterical. I SO enjoy your views on nature. Long time nature lover but I HAVE to listen to YOU tell it! My daughter is a big fan as well; and I hope for further little sprouts to show that learning things is fun and interesting. It's a happy thing. Love your perspective!

[@phlojem285]

Usually Ze just complains to Jerry about his asking stupid questions or being confused, but I like this almost wholesome conversation they have at the end

[@lancewedor5306]

I must confess that Id like to date Jerry. He seems even more daft than Ze.

[@IceGoldDev]

At 4:13 you see a perfect representation of a Voronoi Diagram just showing up in nature. Voronoi diagrams are used a lot in generative art and random texture generation, and the logic behind them is they separate any given space into chunks based on how far each point in space is from one of those white clusters (usually just randomly selected points in that space).

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Also in image segmentation steps of image/video analysis

[@anonymousperson8259]

I love learning new things 🤤 Sapio right here. Will Google that.

[@rikuaotsuki6353]

I know it's been a while, but I was wondering if you knew: is the Voronoi Diagram related somehow to the way packed dry earth and similar things cracks? It's a very similar pattern, and I imagine the cracking is essentially the result of the earth contracting around various points.

[@IceGoldDev]

​@@rikuaotsuki6353 I don't know much about that and I may be wrong, but I know that the cracking process happens because the moisture on the surface dries faster than slightly below surface, contracting the upper layer and causing tension that breaks the dirt apart. If we were to ASSUME it's based on the same concept, I'd have to imagine that as surface moisture evaporates, it does so in a non-uniform manner, with moisture gathering in small "pools" before fully evaporating. Areas farther away from these moist spots dry faster and contract earlier, cracking the dirt apart. But that's working back from the assumption. There are tons of examples of a voronoi pattern showing up in nature, like plant leaves, giraffe spots, turtle shells, mineral formations etc. While I can't speak to the specifics of each case, I'd imagine they all have something to do with some biological or physical process that involves the distance of each point from a number of randomly distributed nucleus points.

[@AbstractBlend]

Probably the best informational video I have ever viewed on KZbin. Bravo Sir

[@Lucien451]

Super cool and funny! Great video and thank you! So happy to see you getting ads and keeping this going.

[@Jesse__H]

2:00 "And then pretty shoon you've got a whole sit-load of them." Zefrank, I love you man 🤣🤣🤣

[@tozty3216]

This man can make grass growing interesting if he wanted to.

[@stevieg2536]

This whole thing was a wonderful experience, thanks.

[@spineluminous9751]

Zefrank's videos always give me joy

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

I think zefrank must have been very happy when he found out about these

[@Renegadebane]

I hope, this man will be the Bill Nye of animal facts for high school/college students one day. Entirely educational but with adult humor anyone who's educated and old enough for sex and unlimited internet access to understand.

[@Puschit1]

He is, though, cherrypicking the material, only narrating the weird, very interesting and already funny animals/behaviours. It would be interesting to see how he would do a boring animal and when he also has to narrate the boring parts.

[@HomoSapiensMember]

really appreciate all the people who spent their time doing this research & science

[@fat-0]

this was by far some of the coolest stuff i've seen lately on youtube!

[@r.b.7940]

Gotta say, all of ZeFrank’s replies to why this was re-uploaded are as entertaining as the video itself.

[@mommamonster1476]

I love finding mold, spores, and fungi in nature and taking pictures of them. This episode did not disappoint! Fascinating!

[@scionofdorn9101]

"I collect spores, molds, and fungus."

[@pixelsafoison]

You're a genius, I've been following you for so long and it's always been a pleasure to watch your work. You turn complicated facts into fun facts that go straight to the point, rendering complexity.... SIMPLE... Allowing your fellow man to understand how wonky life is on our lil' blue rock :). If there's an afterlife you deserve the good version :')

[@lolavale]

I’m so glad you’re back, Ze Frank. My friend and I would spend hours watching and rewatching your catalogue of videos every chance we got through the pandemic. until their suicide severed our little ritual. They loved you, and I’m sure they would have loved this one. Thank you for being here and providing amazing learning opportunities, humor, and wit. Also thank Jerry.

[@kathrynmceachern9503]

I'm terribly sorry to hear that you lost your friend, I also had a good friend kill himself during the pandemic. Hang in there, you are not alone. Ze is good for everyone, he's helped me cope with life every day, too. His voice is the one narrating thoughts in my head and it makes me feel better.

[@CEEXAGON]

3:51 facinating how an amoeba can accurately recreate the thing i see when i rub my eye

[@originalcosmicgirl]

I'm so amazed at how diverse, complex, and just downright bizarre life on earth can be. And this is just on this planet, right now. Imagine the possibilities on other worlds throughout the universe. Thank you, Zefrank, for bringing these creatures to us in a fun and accessible way.💖

[@markusgorelli5278]

0:50 "It looks a bit like a sneeze. But not just any sneeze. It's the one that comes on suddenly while you are eating - it has little bits in it." This line needs to be included in a next biology textbook edition!!! 🤣

[@MyAltdraco]

That is fascinating! And you, sir, are a genius. I love how you can make a video about cell division as enthralling as any thriller.

[@luxurypetscz]

This feels like 23 seasons of a telenovela compressed in 10 minutes.

[@alantaylor3281]

Having never seen or learned about these amoeba I am officially blown away! I literally had my jaw resting on my knees in amazement. I now have to find as much information as I can about the microscopic life of unicellular organisms and biochemistry in general. I knew this in a basic way but, thanks to Ze, I have to pivot away from physics and QED which has always been my lifelong Love and start figuring out biochemistry. Thank you Ze, I love you 😀

[@michelles1250]

I recommend watching videos by microcosm, they have wonderful in depth informational videos about the micro verse

[@maribabette2205]

The ONLY youtube channel where I don't skip the ads, because quite "Frank ly" your voice is Amazing!! Keep doing what you do friend!!!

[@dukeshaver199]

Seriously the Best Damn Channel on KZbin. Don't know how you keep coming up with such badass content. I laughed so hard. I'm definitely going to watch it again.

[@pocketfightr9755]

As a kid, I remember someone I knew using amoeba as an insult just because they were single cell. It's interesting to know they're not as dumb or worthless as I assumed as a kid. I really want a pizza now.

[@lisajean228]

Mmmmmmm…pizza

[@elizabetheaton3882]

Ze, I always have a good laugh whenever you have posted a new video. Thank you for sharing this and for the science education. I'll check out the Brilliant link too because it sounds really interesting!

[@xyfuras]

Fantastic. I always wondered how that jazz worked.