#cercaria

[adelicateculturecell]

“Today we're back with another round of your questions! We've got questions about microbes, questions about how James, our Master of Microscopes takes care of microbes, and questions about how we make these videos. Some of these things we've seen come up frequently in comments, and others are questions sent in via Twitter, Patreon, and Instagram. So thank you to everyone who's been commenting and asking questions, we couldn't do any of this without your shared excitement for all things microcosmos. And every one of your comments and questions steers this channel on our journey.”

Journey to the Microcosmos- Why Did We Start This Channel? (And Other Questions You've Been Asking)

Images Originally Captured by Jam’s Germs

Cercaria 200x, Infected Phacus gigas 630x, Vorticella 400x, Paramecium bursaris 400x, Stentor polymorphus 1000x, Gastrotrich pooping 630x

[homestuckmania-sprites]

@cercaria

-helper bats

[adelicateculturecell]

“Someone else asked whether we worry about getting sick from some of the things we're working with, which is always a good question to ask because safety is an important thing to keep track of when you're got hundreds of containers full microbes in your home. So James exercises caution by not handling the containers with an open wounds. He also washer in hands after working with the microscope. The real challenge is making sure his cats are staying safe because cats, you know, they're cats. So he's trained them to avoid his sample by blowing puffs of air on their face when they try to climb up on his table and his window sills. These are the little bits of insight you get when you watch the questions videos.”

Journey to the Microcosmos- Why Did We Start This Channel? (And Other Questions You've Been Asking)

Images Originally Captured by Jam’s Germs

[adelicateculturecell]

In Order: Phacus gigas 400x, Cercaria 200x, Diatom attracts bacteria 400x, Closterium and Surirella 400x, Euglena 400x, Diatoms and green algea 400x, Stentor polymorphus 40x, Nemotode 200x

Journey to the Microcosmos:  Are Microbes Good or Bad for Humans?

[swingamajig]

it's not easy being cheesy

shiggie cheese.............

[bio-matter]

So called rattenkönig “RAT KING”, bundles of living, undulating, floating, trematode fish parasites, usually excreted by intermediary hosts such as snails. 

The Rat King legend involves a living knot - made up of entangled rats with their tails completely interlaced together. It was a rare bad omen, usually announcing a scourge such as the black plague. Tiny flatworms also form a living knot - termed "rat king" since on their own they cannot infect their next pray. They tie themselves together, and coordinate their movement. To complete their life cycle, these parasite tie themselves to a living knot so they can be more easily mistaken for food by their next host - ducks or some aquatic bird species. Alone they are invisible, but together these tiny larval aggregates become visible - as cercaria, a visible wriggling floating bait. Baiting may come as a surprise but the parasitic trematodes have to escape their tiny scale problem and the fact that dispersed, isolated they may never find a host. Only as a "rat king" ensemble they can be delineated, targeted and easily perceived. Knotted flowery floaters they can attract, they can entice and lure their hosts.