#Cyanobacteria

[does-this-require-cyanobacteria]

ANTS would NOT EXIST without Cyanobacteria!

Ants are animals, which breathe atmospheric O2. The reason there is so much atmospheric O2 today is because of the Great Oxygenation Event, unilaterally caused by Cyanobacteria. During the GOE, atmospheric O2 went from composing .001% Earth's atmosphere, to the 21% we know and love (and can't live without) today!

P.S. boyfriends would also not exist if not for Cyanobacteria, for similar reasons!

P.P.S. ants are my second favorite organism, after (you guessed it) Cyanobacteria!

imagine if your boyfriend was like I can smell an ant. and started tracking

[mindblowingscience]

Cyanobacteria, an ancient lineage of bacteria that perform photosynthesis, have been found to regulate their genes using the same physics principle used in AM radio transmission. New research published in Current Biology has found that cyanobacteria use variations in the amplitude (strength) of a pulse to convey information in single cells. The finding sheds light on how biological rhythms work together to regulate cellular processes.

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[lichenaday]

Scytinium turgidum

When I see people tag my lichen posts with #plant, I have to admit, a part of me dies inside. Because like, cyanolichens like S. turgidum have to plants parts. This guy is composed of an ascomycete fungi and a cyanobacteria -- no plants involved whatsoever. This jelly lichen grows on calcareous rock often inundated with runoff. It has shiny red-black to blackish-olive lobes which are wrinkled and thin when dry, thick and gelatinous when wet. The upper surface is covered in granular isidia, and often brownish-red apothecia. S. turgidum has a Nostoc photobiont.

images: source

info: source | source

[sometiktoksarevalid]

Edit: Corrected information given:

"[T]he water in Lake Tahoe had testing done, the results of which came back literally three days ago showing very, VERY low percentages of the toxins being talked about in that video, and only in very specific parts of the lake. Meaning there was not enough present to cause severe effects in people, or pets. There WAS a small, backwater pond separate from Lake Tahoe reported to have a HAB bloom on the NV side, but it does not effect the rest of the lake."

Article link: https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/no-harmful-algal-bloom-detected-at-lake-tahoe-sites-purported-to-be-responsible-for-dogs-death/

[does-this-require-cyanobacteria]

CHAINS would NOT EXIST without Cyanobacteria

Even putting aside the fact that humans (who breathe atmospheric O2, the vast majority of which was created by Cyanobacteria) were the inventors of chains, even this material from which the chains themselves are composed would not exist without cyanobacteria.

Why, you may ask? Because these chains are covered Iron Oxide, aka rust, which can only be created by Iron being oxidized. What does being oxidized require? Atmospheric O2, the vast majority of which was created by Cyanobacteria. In fact, literally any mineral which contains Oxygen would not exist without Cyanobacteria.

[garblegarden]

Whoooooo wants keychains?

I was originally going to wait until the keychains got here to put them on sale, but I'm getting antsy, so they're on preorder! I estimate I'll receive all of them in a few days and then they'll ship out immediately, if you dare to purchase one. 😈

First up, a bunch of friendly fishy keychains! A coelacanth, a wild type betta, and a furry trout.

Then, some algae! Featuring shapely diatoms and dinoflagellates, as well as some nice green cyanobacteria.

Check them out here! https://garblegoods.bigcartel.com/

[life-on-our-planet]

At the bottom of Lake Untersee in Antarctica are giant stromatolites, an ancient form of life on our planet. They first appeared closer in time to the formation of Earth, three and a half billion years ago, than to the present day. Scientists hope that studying these organisms in such a hostile environment will help us understand and recognize life on icy worlds beyond our own. BBC Earth

[neat-deadandlive-things]

Today's little bit of joy is brought to you by this absolutely perfect filamentous cyanobacteria specimen. This beauty sits perfectly in a single plane, the whole thing in focus, and has both a heteorcysts AND an akinete.

[does-this-require-cyanobacteria]

This PILE OF SPINACH WITH A DONUT ON TOP would NOT EXIST without Cyanobacteria!

Spinach is a plant, meaning that it produces its energy through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts, which are actually Cyanobacterial endosymbionts (Cyanobacteria which live inside of the plant). Without these Cyanobacteria, plants (including Spinach) would be unable to produce energy or grow.

This donut also would not exist without Cyanobacteria. Donuts contain many ingredients derived from plants, such as flour, sugar, and the jelly that likely lies at this donut's center! All plants contain photosynthesizing Cyanobacteria which produce all of their energy.

breakfast

[stimciety]

Cyanobacteria research

[opens-up-4-nobody]

:-]

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Smithsonian Magazine:

Under the dry, piercing heat of the Utah sun, Sasha Reed is growing plots of plants—and bacteria, lichen and fungi, too. But Reed is no farmer, and at first glance, her fields look to be mostly dirt. She’s an ecologist, and what she is growing is cryptobiotic soil.

Also called biocrust, cryptobiotic soil is a community of tiny, dirt-dwelling organisms that form a distinct crust on the top of soil in arid landscapes. These crusts are vital across Earth’s dryland ecosystems, helping to hold loose soil together and prevent erosion. They retain water, provide nooks for other microbes to live in and add nitrogen to the soil.

Cryptobiotic soil often looks like a discolored patch of ground. Upon closer inspection, the stain becomes a mosaic of small, dark lumps, dotted with tiny beds of moss and inconspicuous patches of lichen. But it can also look very similar to regular, crusty soil. Although the crunchy earth might be tempting to trek over, like stomping through a pile of crisp autumn leaves, that’s a major faux pas: Biocrust can take decades to regenerate.

And these days, in addition to getting crushed by boots, biocrusts are threatened by another kind of human footprint: climate change. So researchers are diligently working to learn more about the crusts and how to restore them.

“It’s been a pretty busy but also exciting time, because we’re kind of inventing how to do this,” says Anita Antoninka, a plant and soil ecologist at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff who studies the crusts.

The drylands where biocrusts reside are vital ecosystems, she says, but they are some of the most degraded around the globe. As biocrusts decline in these areas, soil fertility will drop, and wind erosion will blow away the loose, unprotected dirt. Less water will soak into the ground. Even the carbon cycle could be affected, as there will be fewer tiny life forms absorbing carbon dioxide.

Biocrusts cover around 12 percent of Earth’s land surfaces and inhabit every continent in the world. A major component of these crusts is often photosynthesizing bacteria called cyanobacteria. The cyanobacteria form sticky filaments that act like glue in sandy desert soil, creating a clumpy, crusty surface where fungi and other bacteria take hold.

[does-this-require-cyanobacteria]

KNITTING would NOT EXIST without Cyanobacteria!

Knitting is believed to have been invented in the 5th century C.E. in the Middle East, by members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens (including the individual who invented knitting) breathe atmospheric O2 in order to survive. Almost all atmospheric O2 on Earth was produced by Cyanobacteria. Therefore, without Cyanobacteria around, knitting would not exist!

[foundgirlpigeon]

AAAAAAA

THEY LITERALLY JUST DECIDE YES THIS ONE IS OKAY AND HOLD ONTO EACH OTHER

They hold onto each other and form a community like we do I'm totally not sobbing over this

[pawzooks]

Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, can produce extremely harmful toxins for dogs. When ingested, these toxins can cause severe symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and even liver failure. Dogs can be exposed by drinking or swimming in contaminated water. To protect your pet, always keep your pet away from water with visible algae blooms.

[mindblowingscience]

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, have existed for billions of years, adapting to a diverse range of environments. Their remarkable ability to photosynthesize and make their own food, as well as their adaptability across a variety of habitats, make them a subject of focus for the research fraternity. One such cyanobacterium native to Japan—Aphanothece sacrum, also known as Suizenji-nori—has been extensively studied for its bioactive properties and potential health benefits. Notably, A. sacrum accumulates natural compounds known as saclipins A and B in response to drought stress. These compounds are significant due to their ability to absorb ultraviolet (UV)-A and UV-B rays, making them potential skin-protective agents.

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