Trying To Solve Some Micro Mysteries

Today's episode has one particular theme: a bunch of funny things going on in the microcosmos.
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Hosted by Deboki Chakravarti:
www.debokic.com/
Music by Andrew Huang:
/ andrewhuang
Journey to the Microcosmos is a Complexly production.
Find out more at www.complexly.com
SOURCES:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
link.springer.com/10.1007/0-38...
This video has been dubbed using an artificial voice via aloud.area120.google.com to increase accessibility. You can change the audio track language in the Settings menu.

[@StayPrimal]

When I was a kid I thought the humans figured the world already, there was nothing to be discovered anymore, it was done. As I grew older, I realized we are still completely surrounded in mysteries. In the past few hundreds years, all we did was put words on things and phenomena, but we don't truly understand anything at the deepest level, not even the most basic subject. Sometimes I like to play the ''Game of how''. You pick a subject you like and know well, and you ask yourself (How is it doing this) . By example (How is gravity pulling me down). When you find that the answer is X, you ask yourself (But how is X pulling me down). When you find that the answer is Y, then you ask (But how is Y pulling me down). You will most likely get the answers of the first 4-5 questions, but eventually you get into a very obscure world lol, you can't answer, and no one can. I like it that way to be honest. This world is still a complete mystery folks :) Isn't it amazing? Keep your eyes and your mind open.

[@tvmcrusher]

The ability to accept your lack of knowledge is what allows you to learn about everything, may it forever be mysterious! =)

[@james67693]

...it is amazing, even astounding, the advancement of scientific knowledge these days. But,Scientists in every field are 'bumping up' against a 'wall of knowledge limitation'; through and past which they can not advance; all their theories and math falls apart; doesn't work. This is a 'God Placed Limit' on what mankind is allowed to know. We are told of this by the symbolic story of the 'Tower of Babel' in the bible...

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

@StayPrimal I did my BSc in Biology many decades ago. It was a 2nd year class in cell biology where we began asking questions and our prof's reply was "No one knows." Over the ensuing years we have discovered SO MUCH MORE! And it goes on. Keep learning. Keep living.

[@galaxiaknight]

Fun fact! Around 90% of the animal, fungal and protist diversity is still completely unknown

[@vincentwhite7693]

What you say is true. Sadly public policy is often dictated by those who, through ignorance or calculation, chose to deal in rank simplifications and certainties.

[@BRAINROTTDAVE]

I love how Hank has set the tone for this channel so much that even when it's not him, ppl narrate slow.

[@Somebodyherefornow]

me when i 2x

[@Shnarfbird]

When this new narrator came around, it did not go too well. But with time, she practiced the vibe and now fits in perfectly

[@stormydude3]

I love this channel. I've watched every single video for several years now, mostly on my TV where it's difficult to leave a comment. This channel represents everything that is revolutionary and beneficial about the internet. A small team of amateurs, working from home to produce a glimpse for the rest of us into a world only available with modern technology, in an entertaining and enlightening manner. You will have one million subscribers before long! Deservedly so. I tell people about this channel all the time. I will never look at any drop of pond water the same way again. Like most people, I had no idea that the microscopic world was teaming with that much life! Every time I go to scrub out the scum lining the container that holds my dentures, lol, I think about the billions of ciliates, parameciums and unseen living algae growth that I'm killing, thank you very much Journey to the Microcosmos!

[@StitchTheFox]

Im sick rn, so watching a whole bunch of microbes is making me feel so much better lol

[@GeoffryGifari]

watching microbes get destroyed while sick. Not healing the body, but still

[@StitchTheFox]

@@GeoffryGifari now I just need to swallow a UV lightbulb lol

[@Padraigp]

I'm sitting in a storm. And it's making my eyes water... I would love a laboratory so when I'm sick I could swab everything and see who's to blame! I'd probably end up wanting to keep them as pets😂

[@silviavalentine3812]

​@@Padraigplol ikr But for me I'm wayyy too ambitious and want to simulate every chemical reaction going on and just watch 😶

[@Padraigp]

@@silviavalentine3812 nice hope it keeps you distracted from feeling unwell. 😉

[@williandalsoto806]

Every time I play a new video from this channel I hope it's Deboki hosting, I'm so happy right now! (I mean, I love Hank but I don't get enough Deboki in my life, considering she doesn't have 300 different channels/podcasts like Hank!)

[@kurtflint64]

6:00 YES! I had figured it out! Oh you do beautiful work at Journey to the Microcosmos. Thank you from the bottom of my sleepless heart at 3AM California time ;-)

[@BuggerOffBuddy]

I will never get over how beautiful the microcosmos is.

[@elliottcoleman8225]

Didn't look too closely at the thumbnail, so I was genuinely shocked when I noticed the cloudy material in the reverse footage begin to take the shape of a cell. I'm enraptured with curiosity!

[@Beryllahawk]

I have an idea as to why this critter had both purple bacteria and algae - what if it was more of a wanderer than most, or maybe its pond of origin had an unfortunate frequent habit of drying up at unpredictable intervals? In a situation like that maybe it would spend MOST of its time in the bottom, low-oxygen and cozy with its purpley friends. But when the water level gets too low there'd be sunlight and probably more oxygen, and less of the materials the P. tenue would normally need. So then, the algae come into play, and their effort helps feed the host AND (in a secondary fashion) the bacteria, so that everyone still gets the good deal until the water returns. I don't recall if purple bacteria are ever parasitic/predatory, though. Or for that matter if algae can be harmful to a host. That could be another explanation, though it seems like if that IS a thing, it'd be more common. An arrangement of three-way symbiosis though makes pretty good sense in very specifically difficult conditions, and makes me think a little bit of tidepools and the unusual living habits of the creatures who've adapted to them. But how common are fresh water "tidepools" as it were? It wouldn't be like puddles, nor like the edge of lakes; it'd have to be some kind of medium-shallow, partially still pond, something that gets "topped up" by rain, but infrequently. Or maintained by human action but in a real inconsistent way. Such bodies of water can't be all that common, and so such creatures as this P. tenue with its extra passengers can't be common either.

[@norxielimeslime]

The freshwater tidepools you are looking for are called vernal pools and are one of my favorite micro environments :]

[@shanerooney7288]

We found two ciliate protozoa who are in love. Science still can't explain why microorganism can find love but I can't.

[@alienworm1999]

Shaq and Kobe on the Lakers 🤝 Two different pigmented endosymbions inside a larger cell

[@GeoffryGifari]

How flexible can endosymbiosis be for microbes? does each bacteria need a specific set hosts for it to work? which kinds of microbes are more likely to pair up in endosymbiosis?

[@foxshot97]

Some bacteria are picky and need specific hosts, while others are more like social butterflies, mingling with various types of cells. It depends a lot on the evolutionary history of the microbe, its metabolic needs, and sometimes just plain old opportunity. As for which microbes are more likely to pair up, it's often those that can either provide or need something essential. Photosynthetic bacteria, like cyanobacteria, are a classic example. They enter into symbiotic relationships with a variety of hosts, providing them with energy from photosynthesis. In return, they get a safe place to live and access to nutrients.

[@GeoffryGifari]

@@foxshot97 hmmm it makes sense... Have biologists figured out the steps from a photosynthetic bacteria cooperating with another microbe to endosymbiosis and eventually becoming an organelle? Like... those algae and purple bacteria in the video, If somehow they got ejected from the host they could still survive independently right?

[@oasntet]

Often the symbionts are kept within the family tree of the host, much like how our mitochondria are not wild-caught microbes but inherited from our mothers. When the host reproduces by dividing, it'll divvy up the symbiotes, which will then reproduce shortly thereafter. For P. Tenue we can find other species that are closely related via gene sequencing. Sometimes those closest species are endosymbionts of other bacteria (as in the case of the green algae here) and sometimes it's closer to a wild species (as in the case of the purple algae). This might suggest that P. Tenue stems from a lineage that had only green algae for a period, and more recently adopted some purple algae. Maybe. It's also possible that tomorrow somebody will discover another purple algae symbionts that's even more closely related.

[@oasntet]

@@GeoffryGifari Some endosymbionts are obligate and cannot survive outside the host; I believe, though I'm not sure, that because these are vertically-transmitted, they're obligate. But who knows? It's a recent discovery, it's always possible we've found a symbiont so early in its adapting to its new environment that it hasn't lost the ability to live independently. It's more likely the case for the purple algae than the green, in this instance, just going off what we know of their genetics.

[@tiffanymarie9750]

Deboki has such a nice voice for this channel 🤗

[@martf1061]

A couple years ago, there was these kind of algue in the lakes in Quebec, Canada. They called it the "blue-green" algue. It was considered a health safety issue, and closed some beachs and warned us, not to go in the water when these algue where seen. They said it was caused by the rising water temperatures and by the acidification of the waters... We never knew what caused it, if it really was dangerous for health, and why they suddenly stopped talking about this...

[@tomfeng5645]

It's likely the same ones then as down south, the Great Lakes will often have issues with algae blooms. They create a pretty nasty paralyzing neurotoxin iirc. That has gotten slightly better with better control on agricultural pollution.

[@Wanhope2]

The even bigger “cause” is excess fertilizer run off triggering algae blooms.

[@apteropith]

wonder what killed the little fella; looks like it was doing well one moment, and then one end just started leaking and the whole membrane fell apart

[@RUBB3Rman]

"And yet they seem to do just fine" -- then the host dies.

[@cryostratos5359]

I like this a lot.

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

_Pseudoblepharisma tenue_ are quite fascinating to me and IMO more interesting, precisely because it's host to two distinct photosynthetic organisms - one of which is a secondary endosymbiont which is, itself, host to plastids. What's more fascinating to me is that it has *purple bacteria* as endosymbionts, and unlike chloroplasts, these aren't dedicated/strict photosynthesis/autotrophy organelles.

[@Ladyoftheroundtable]

I think with that cell, the bacteria and algea aren't conflicting, they're complimentary. And their preference for low oxygen I think confirms it. By having the oxygen consuming algea, the anaerobic bacteria is kept safe from surrounding oxygen. But the algea can only consume so much air, so they'd choose somewher with low oxygen, so as to not overwhelm the purple bacteria

[@Nikoladragon]

The relationship between the algae and the bacteria in their host is a perfect analogue of what's happening in the world of humans. As above, so below. We can learn a lot from the life all around us, and how we coexist.

[@WAMTAT]

No offense, these videos are amazing for helping me get to sleep. So calming, so relaxing, so informative.

[@2degucitas]

0.56 My boi ( the small, white, fast guy on the lower left) just wandered into the neighborhood, took a tour and noped right out of there!

[@KimiAvary]

Lovely video. Beautiful narration!

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

Ooh, finally! Some attention being brought to _Pseudoblepharisma tenue._ I was going to suggest a video on these things at some point, but here it is now anyway. Nice!

[@Dismythed]

It seems obvious to me that if you want an oxygen-free environment, you need an oxygen vacuum to remove it. Thus the algae serves to remove the oxygen. In other words, the bacteria is herding the algae for terraforming local environments. This might even mean that they have targeted particular algae for survival who can both get great benefit from oxygen, but also survive in low oxygen environments.

[@maxwellsimon4538]

wow that actually sounds like a pretty good idea

[@Dismythed]

@@maxwellsimon4538 I think @beryllahawk also has a good idea. In fact, I think both Ideas are compatible and sound good in tandem. He suggested how they became intertwined and then spoke of a threeway symbiosis in which the algae feed the host, the host feed the bacteria and the bacteria keep the algae alive. I'm also thinking that maybe the bacteria are supercharging the algae so that it gets greater benefit from the oxygen, perhaps by some kind of chemical trade. All this is just conjecture from both of us, but it seems very plausible. I would like to see if someone tests for a chemical that can supercharge oxygen's benefit to algae. Though that algae looked extra green. Maybe it supercharges the chlorophyll instead.

[@terranhealer]

I love the idea that life may have began as a symbiotic blob instead of discrete competing cells 🎉 . That’s the feeling one gets from psychedelic theogony; i.e. everything is connected

[@MamitaClaud]

Nature is like my anatomy professor back then who was infamous with his exams. Imagine this, medical trays containing muscles or organs and a colored pin means identify the part. This was time pressured. He would jumble muscles, veins, arteries etc. till its unrecognizable. According to him, it was a simulation of fatal accidents. Very few passed his exams. Once you get used to his masterful artwork you will get it eventually. Just like mother nature, in time all will be revealed through scientific research. Thanks for reminding me of this. That's why I watch your channel.

[@ashcombrink4998]

"And yet they seem to do just fine." And yet we all just watched it explode.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

I remember looking at pond scum under a microscope in a high school biology class. I saw some small creatures, paramecium, I guess? But what I saw was a large elongated single cell organism that had a most unusual feature. At one end of its body was a strange organ that looked like a sphere that was rolling around and rotating in all directions as the animal moved around in the green algae. It was definitely a sphere and was definitely rolling in all directions. It was really, really weird. They were fairly large in comparison to the other animals, there were more than one and other students could see them too but nobody seemed to think anything was weird other than me. I have never seen any mention or depiction of this creature since then nor any explanation for what I saw. The teacher was oblivious and more interested in flirting with the female students than talking to me about what I was seeing in the microscope.

[@2degucitas]

Did we have the same teacher?

[@Wanhope2]

That sphere might have been another organism getting slurped and panicked 😢

[@ranro7371]

Darkfield microscopy only please from now on. All the other methods are the equivalent of seeing humans on x-ray instead of ambient light.

[@GeoffryGifari]

Wait wait... what did the bright UV light do to the pelosigma, exactly?

[@apteropith]

made them really unhappy, i'm guessing; it's probably not good for their health

[@foxshot97]

UV light destroys DNA and cell structure

[@Hmongboi228]

Just a hypothesis but it possibly broke their delicate, biological bonds due to a certain UV spectrum? Different spectrums, higher or lower could possibly break their bonds that those organisms are holding with each other. Remember, this is just a hypothesis. The above or they were vampire pelosigmas. The UV light made the vampiric pelosigmas scatter from their coven. 🤔😂🤣😂

[@GeoffryGifari]

@@Hmongboi228 What's surprising to me is that the UV flash seems to push those wiggly things apart

[@antiisocial]

Cool. Ty

[@DarkKnightDarkAradon]

As a non English speaker, today i just realized that "Master of microscope" means that someone who operate the microscope and not bragging about James's mastery in using it. xD

[@gigglysamentz2021]

The normal term is probably "microscopist" but "Master of microscopes" is way cooler

[@mnrvaprjct]

This is so cool! I’m writing a story where a planets plant analog evolved from a creature like this!

[@wamlartmuse17]

The micro Barney was awesome. This is the first time I've seen purple & green compliment each other.

[@5mnz7fg]

Folie à trois! 😄

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

Maybe a Blepharisma evolved to gain an algae symbiont. Then, later, a line evolved to live in a low oxygen environment, so it used the same machinery to house the algae for the purple bacteria. But they kept the algae, because of non-photosynthetic benefits to the algae. Being much more complicated than the bacteria, as Eukaryotes, the algae has much more complex and potentially helpful machinery. The algae probably still photo-synthesises, but that is less important now. It is like how barely flying birds 🐦 and insects 🦗 can exist, because the clades are basally flying, so it doesn't need to be a big lifestyle thing to have enough selective pressure to gain it. It is just there as standard.

[@ronaldmorgan7632]

I think the host crashed because it was distracted by the "kids in the back seat". Then, the "kids" tried to figure out, "Do we continue on together, or go our separate ways?"

[@kartvyasheth2087]

Want more of this plzz

[@Hmongboi228]

It's November the 13th, 2023 and I am watching this clip while eating my microwaved oatmeal topped with cinnamon, frozen blueberries, extra virgin olive oil, almond milk and a sliced banana. As I am enjoying my breakfast and watching this video, all I can say about this video is that it is absolutely, B E A U T I F U L.. ❤ That organism dying at 8:00 and slowly falling apart, spilling it's microbial contents reminded me that we ALL eventually die. Sometimes in the fast pace of life and being an adult, you totally forget about your interests when you were younger and when I randomly decided to watch this clip on my day off today, it reminded me of my love and fascination for microbiology in my late 20's... 🥺😌🥰😥

[@Thecutecyanbird]

Bacteria is shown these things also! 😊❤

[@JAGFG42]

I’m surprised you didn’t bring up the possibility that because it munched on the algae and sulfur bacteria, this may have caused it to have a chemical reaction inside and was the cause of death for the organism. Very cool tho thanks for sharing

[@BePositive1984]

All I know B bloods have super cells that are far more advanced than most humans can imagine seriously

[@nessidoe8080]

Hm, the pseudoblepharisma died. So I have the suspicion that the roommates didn't live togheter so peacefully after all...

[@jredmane]

Can the purple bacteria survive outside the host? What happened to them?

[@SurvivalSquirrel]

Now think of bacteria in humans. And then take a step back, and think about humans and trees living on continents. Then another step back you could realize, that there are continents and seas. And further, there is this planet....

[@mazi2646]

Why does it fall apart like that so fast after it dies?

[@GeoffryGifari]

If algae and purple bacteria thrive in very different environments, how can pseudoblepharisma collect both? can endosymbionts be passed from host to host? or even host to its offspring?

[@carlosandleon]

usually

[@edweinb]

When the pseudoblapharisma dies it appears to abruptly die all over its body more or less at the same time. Like all those purple bacteria decided together to kill their host.

[@riderinsanjose337]

Do my ears deceive me ? She said "James" with out adding 'Our master of microscopes'.

[@GreenPoint_one]

Purple bacteria that dont use sulfur? How does it funtcion then?

[@Bjondr]

Guys posting 58 minutes from when i have to work is cool and all but its just down right creepy coincidence

[@kc4697]

maybe the spathids just wanted a little extra fun

[@ivanwilliams3736]

It's like three dogs stuck.

[@james67693]

...no mystery; they are having a 'three way'; hmmm, I know about that....

[@blackcitadel37]

Is Hank doing better?

[@LouisGedo]

👋

[@dalitrh]

Science doesn't know why someone would have a treesome? 😏🤔😅

[@rodmarker2071]

What happened to Hank ?

[@watamatafoyu]

Why does your microphone sound like it's magnifying into your tongue

[@cedricvelarde]

Didn’t knew spathids have some kinks

[@skivvy3565]

The usual narrator does such a great job and is so emphatic and relaxing. This is my first time hearing this other one and it sounds like they’re just going through the motions reading a script. Usually the videos have so much feeling. But this one lacks it entirely

[@falcychead8198]

How do we know that the bacteria were in a symbiotic relationship with the P. tenue? It looks to me like the bacteria invaded and killed it.

[@oasntet]

We've found them multiple times in the wild, enough to do gene sequencing of the symbionts and find they're vertically-transferred (that is, new P. Tenue are "born" with them).

[@bridgetconley7206]

​@@oasntetI dove into the paper the video linked, and the evidence presented for vertical transfer isn't complete. They observed division of the endosymbionts, but I don't think the observed division of the Climate host with transfer of both endosymbionts. Perhaps this is in an earlier paper I'm ignorant of. Interesting observations! Proving cause and effect in the microcosmos is hard work.

[@Tser]

rice and peas

[@Anuchan]

I'm looking for a microorganism that can consume salt NaCl as a way to purify sea water. Any one have any ideas?

[@foxshot97]

Halophiles: These are microorganisms that thrive in high-salt environments. While they don't exactly "consume" salt, they have adapted to such conditions. Research into their metabolic pathways might offer insights into handling high salt concentrations. But again, they don't reduce the salt content; they just tolerate it. Genetic Engineering: With advancements in genetic engineering and synthetic biology, it might be possible to engineer microorganisms that can process or sequester salt. This is a complex and speculative avenue but could be a potential research area. Bioremediation and Salt Tolerance: Some microorganisms are used in bioremediation to remove pollutants from water. While these typically don't target salt, understanding their mechanisms might provide clues on managing salt concentrations. Also, studying plants with high salt tolerance (halophytes) could provide insights into biological mechanisms that could potentially be transferred to microorganisms.

[@Anuchan]

@@foxshot97 Thanks for your insight. This gives me a few directions to pursue.

[@foxshot97]

@@Anuchan No problem, happy you’re interested in these types of ideas

[@pattheplanter]

The plant Tamarix aphylla pumps salt out into its leaves to capture the humidity from the air and then absorb it. Paper called "Harvesting of aerial humidity with natural hygroscopic salt excretions".

[@Anuchan]

@@pattheplanter I wasn't thinking about transport, but you never know where the solution will pop out. Thanks.

[@wamlartmuse17]

I solved the spathids question. The males have two reproductive organs. What a life 😅.

[@crthanson38]

Love the channel would watch more if you stopped pushing the adds.

[@hughes2896]

I have no issues with the new narrator and don’t miss Hank Green at all. I have no issues with the new narrator and don’t miss Hank Green at all. I have no issues with the new narrator and don’t miss Hank Green at all. I have no issues with the new narrator and don’t miss Hank Green at all. 😭😭😭

[@makebreakrepeat]

Pseudoblepharisma thrupleusi

[@thomasgoodwin2648]

YT rules can be a bit specious at best. Human porn = BAD Bacteria porn = A-OK! Message? 🖖😉👍

[@dfgdfg_]

Get conguated

[@Pureignition58]

1:58 Thank you for scientifically proving inclusion is not always a good thing even at the microscopic level. 🤣🤣🤣

[@Laian41]

I did not enjoy the back and forth context switching for the sake of suspense

[@DeathsGarden-oz9gg]

To bad it didn't pass on its new gens.

[@TheD3cline]

hot

[@user-fz6jj2qu9s]

Third

[@JewelOfSoul]

Vocal fry and uptalk made this a little difficult to listen to.

[@aubifaedra]

Its obvious to see that the Palasigma are all coming together to protest at the genocide in Palestine

[@MrNegative101]

We pretty much can’t explain anything so nothing new there.

[@paulosborne6517]

This channel used to be enjoyably informative. Now it is just quirky / kooky and verbose - trying to be amusing and using a lot of words to impart very little detail or explanation at all.

[@Ancipital_]

Oh god the vocal fry makes this unbearable to listen to.

[@LuisAldamiz]

Too convolutedly told. I couldn't like, got lost in excess of "literature".

[@malcolmdrake6137]

It might help the channel, which is attempting to inform people on a scientific level, if they didn't narrate their videos with someone who seems to be striving to show off her "Valley Girl" impression.

[@KageSama19]

Great content, but this video has the WORST music. All I hear is "BONK BONK BONK BONK BONK BONK BONK BONK" and it makes this video unwatchable.