#cellular life

[jaimebeazley-blog]

Concept: The universe is alive and we’re her cells?

Just think this is a really cool idea

[mandatoryrollercoaster]

This Is Awkward

It was kind of a messy split.

Patreon subscribers get two bonus microbe comics! (Plus hundreds more sketches, drawings and animations.)

[avddaily]

Soooo what was that pale coloured smudge from yesterday?  Isn't it kinda obvious? You're looking at a frame grab from a video of a Ciliate in action.  Don't you feel silly for missing that one?

Ciliates are a form of single celled life most notable for the hair like organelles around their exterior.  Called 'Cilia' (Cilium in plural) they are used for various duties such as feeding, locomotion, and as environmental sensors.  The cilium of this little critter can be seen quite clearly in the video.

Now, cilium are interesting for a couple of reasons.  First, they are related to another awesome organelle called the Flagellum (flangella in plural).  This organelle is, essentially, evolution's answer to the rotary engine.  Second, we mammals all have cilium of our very own.  In humans cilium can be found in the upper respiratory tract (or in this photo).  Groups of them, not unlike tufts of shag rug, work in a unified wave motion to help remove mucus and dirt from our lungs.

So there you have it... it was a ciliate; evolution's answer to the Roomba.