I came across an article about a peculiar animal making its way into medicine. We are talking about Hydra, not the mythology creature, but a tiny fresh-water predator. This only few millimeters long being is truly interesting and it's no wonder it has been put under the scientific scope.
Hydras have spectacular regenerative powers, you can cut a Hydra into pieces and those pieces will continue living. They can reproduce asexually or through sexual reproduction. They also age slowly, if at all, they are claimed to be immortal in the light of some evidence.
On the subject of medicine I'm quoting the article found in Journal of Biological Chemistry:
"A new antimicrobial compound has been isolated from the freshwater animal Hydra. The compound, called hydramacin-1, shares virtually no similarity with any other known antibacterial proteins except for two other antimicrobials found in leech, and has been shown in laboratory studies to be highly potent."
"In a series of laboratory experiments, this protein could kill a wide range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria."
"Hydramacin works by sticking to the bacterial surface, promoting the clumping of nearby bacteria, then disrupting the bacterial membrane."
"it most closely resembled a superfamily of proteins found in scorpion venom."
Truly amazing information, it just shows how little we have figured out of our world and the possibilities residing in it.
Even tiny things can hold a great meaning.
No comments:
Post a Comment