#parabiotic

[transgenderer]

okay so i was reading about the crazy rat parabiosis experiments (they gave a rat a brain lesion to make it obese and then hooked its blood up to another rat. and the other rat didnt eat at all and starved. science) and i noticed this crazy diagram

so i checked the paper it's from, and...

The moth was deeply anesthetized with carbon dioxide. The antennae and the fore and midlegs were excised and melted wax was applied with a drawing-pen to cover the entire head and prothorax. Then, with a single transverse cut, the head was removed to leave a collar of wax at the anterior open end of the prothorax. Crystals of an equal-part mixture of phenylthiourea and streptomycin sulfate wer placed in the wound along with enough Ringer's solution to fill the cavity

The pupal partner was deeply anesthetized with carbon dioxide and a disc of integument, about 4 mm. in diameter, was cut from the mesothoracic tergum. Th underlying epidermis was trimmed away with microscissors, care being taken t avoid any damage to the aorta which extends beneath the midline at this point. Melted wax was applied to the integument around the margin of the wound Crystals of phenylthiourea and streptomycin were placed in the wound and the cavity was filled with a few drops of Ringer's solution

The two animals were oriented in a cradle of plasticene and the wax-coated openings were brought into juxtaposition. The pupal abdomen was compressed until the pupal blood filled the narrow opening between the animals, all air being thereby displaced. The junction was then sealed with melted wax to yield a parabiotic preparation such as shown in Figure 1

The preparation was then removed from the anesthesia funn 25? C. Under this condition, the moth commonly initiated ener its wings. In order to prohibit this activity, the wings were pl jaws of a spring-loaded clothes-pin.

okay. so they stuck some moths and pupas together. insane, but like. whatever. i guess. EXCEPT heres what happened

Forty preparations were assembled, of which ten soon died and Table II summarizes the several types of experiments that were p each of the 30 viable preparations the pupal partner initiated adu within ten days at 25? C. Attention is directed to the effects of on the course of this developmen

When the headless partner was a male or female Polyphemus underwent normal adult development. The same was true in 7 of 8 preparations in which the headless partner was a female Cecropia moth. But in all ten prepations in which the headless partner was a male Cecropia moth, the pupa metamorphosed, not into a normal moth, but into a creature which retained lar of pupal cuticle (Fig. 2). It seems necessary to conclude that a male C moth, though headless and without any corpora allata, can somehow favor release of juvenile hormone within the parabiotic preparation

In the analysis of these experiments we have centered attention on the effe the parabiosis on the pupal partner. But, what about the developmental of the other half of the combination-the headless moth? For present purposes suffice it to say that in about a third of the preparations the developmental re of the pupa spread to the adult partner and caused the latter to molt. Th extended over both the thorax and abdomen, but never included the win old adult cuticle was detached from the underlying epidermis and replace smooth new cuticle which was of adult type, except for the generalized of scales or hairs.

this is fucked up huh. the pupa and the moth fucked each other up. neither of them metamorphosed right. also apparently the moths lived longer. moths...

[poopshitt]

This is still going around?

Good.

#parabiotic type relationship

Most attractive aspect of a woman?

Physically larger than me

[avongina]

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[mcyt-hc-writing]

The Sculk Colonial Organism: An Overview

The Sculk (Abyssal Terror) is an organism found inhabiting deep caves of the world, typically found no higher than sixty metres below the surface, and usually much lower. It is a colonial scavenger, with a typical organism consisting of five* major types of ramets. 

The number of individual ramets in an organism varies, with thousands typically found in a mature specimen. The average lifespan of an organism is yet-undetermined.

*Two of the accepted component organs are known to be different life stages of the same ramet, however are usually considered separate as they play different roles within the organism.

Anatomy

Catalysts

The core of any sculk organism is the reproductive ramet known as the ‘Catalyst’. This catalyst forms the core of the organism’s digestive system, and is responsible for reproducing new ramets as the organism grows and develops.

After food is absorbed and digested by sculk veins (see below), any excess nutrients are delivered to the catalyst at the core of the organism to be distributed across the other ramets. The souls of freshly-killed creatures in the vicinity are also absorbed by the catalyst, and used to encourage the rapid reproduction of new ramets. The catalyst contains the complete genetic information of the organism and is capable of replicating any individual ramet as necessary through budding, except other catalysts.

Each organism is definable by its catalyst, with multi-catalyst sculk systems considered to be groups of separate organisms. Such groups are believed to be capable of sharing nutrients between catalysts - however this behaviour has not been observed in lab conditions, possibly due to stress.

The catalyst itself is differentiated, consisting of an internal gastrovascular organ (which distributes digested material between ramets), a reproductive gonophore, and a budding polyp, all protected by a pseudo-skeletal shell on the outside of the organism. The top of the organism is covered by a bioluminescent “cap”, which typically consists of a vestigial parabiotic sensory ramet from the pupal stage of the catalyst, covering a soul-absorbing anomalophore.

Veins

The most numerous ramets of the sculk organism, which make up over 95% of the typical organism mass, are its ‘Veins’. These ramets are responsible for food gathering and digestion.

Veins are individual strands of sculk, slightly differentiated, mostly consisting of two gastrovascular channels within a permeable bioluminescent dermis. The base of the ramet is attached to the organism’s catalyst, or in large specimens, to adjacent ramets, and contains the ramet’s central gastrovascular and nervous systems. Veins are typically 5 to 30 millimetres thick, and have a maximum recorded length of 60 metres.

As a specimen develops, the veins closer to its core tend to create a “carpet” upon the organism’s substrate. In mature organisms these carpets can reach thicknesses of up to a metre, consisting of many thousands of individual strands. At those thicknesses, veins display a degree of interconnectivity - if a vein’s base were damaged, its “tail” would attack to another, undamaged vein to continue functioning. This can create complex branching structures of veins in older organisms, though they are usually far less efficient than single strands.

The outer tail of the vein is capable of absorbing organic material, which is digested within the outer gastrovascular system. The nutrients are first absorbed by the arterial channel which moves from the head to the tail of the ramet - then, after absorption by the tail of the ramet, excess nutrients are sent by the venal channel to the ramet’s head. Nutrients not absorbed by the ramet are delivered to the organism’s catalyst, which distributes them across the different ramets.

Sensors

The sensory ramets of the sculk, known as “Sensors”, are a fundamental component of the organism’s unique defence system. They are a type of large, highly specialised polyp up to a metre in diameter and up to forty centimetres in height. A typical mature organism contains up to ten sensors, usually spaced out with five to seven metres of distance between them. Sensors are also found parabiotically growing atop ambulatory sculk ramets (see below).

A single sensor ramet consists of a short trunk, containing the ramet’s electric organ, gastrovascular pump, and central nervous system, and four mobile sensory tendrils atop the trunk. The ramet’s bioluminescent dermis is permeable, and its digestive organs are functional, but most are incapable of independently sustaining themselves for prolonged periods without parasitically absorbing nutrients from the sculk vein substrate they grow upon.

Sensors are adapted to the detection and transmission of vibrations within their environment. The sensory tendrils lack bioluminescence and contain a fine system of nerves capable of detecting nearby vibrations in the air. They are capable of distinguishing the direction and amplitude of the vibration, and can differentiate between different sources of vibration, including the distinction between biotic and abiotic sources.

Upon sensing a vibration, the four tendrils immediately constrict, creating a characteristic “clicking”. The electric organ releases a characteristic pulse dependent on the amplitude and source-frequency of the detected vibration, which provokes the bioluminescence of the ramet’s dermis. This response is intended to scare away potential threats to the organism. If the vibration is recognised as coming from a biotic creature, the tendrils will then “wiggle” in a characteristic manner which can be detected by further-specialised ramets (see below), for the purposes of defending the organism.

Shriekers

When a sensor detects a potential threat to the organism, it attempts to transmit information to a ramet extremely specialised for the organism’s protection - the “shrieker” ramet. These are similar to sensors in some ways, being of a similar size, distribution, and structure, but their role in the organism is entirely different.

While the gastrovascular and neural biology of the shrieker is similar to that of the sensor, as is their parasitic relationship with the rest of the organism, their dermal structure is distinct. The dermis of the shrieker is partially enclosed within a pseudo-skeletal shell, with four mandibular protrusions which extend above the top of the trunk. The shell is composed of dried dermis and vascular channels - in the early post-budding stage of the ramet’s life cycle, it possesses four tendrils similar to the sensor ramet, which harden over time. In the centre of the shrieker, the dermis parts to reveal an exposed bioluminescent larynx. The larynx has a unique bioluminescence pattern, believed to be part of its threat display.

The mandibular protrusions, unlike the highly sensitive tendrils of the sensor ramet, are stiff and only respond to very specific frequencies. When a sensor detects a potential threat, it causes a vibration of the exact frequency to trigger the shrieker. The shrieker, once triggered, uses its specialised larynx to emit a cacophonic “scream”, alerting all other shriekers in the area. Alerted shriekers are in a heightened state of stress and begin consuming increasing amounts of nutrients from the sculk substrate. These “screams” are usually sufficient to dissuade any potential threats from harming the organism.

A shrieker will also, understandably, scream when it is stepped on.

If a shrieker is sufficiently stressed (usually after three “screams”), it emits a specialised type of scream, commonly called a “summoning scream”. In a mature, developed organism this triggers the final type of threat response, activating the organism’s ambulatory ramet.

A form of shrieker is believed to be parabiotically growing within ambulatory ramets, but this has not been confirmed due to difficulties in research.

Wardens

The final major ramet of the sculk organism is the ambulatory ramet commonly referred to as a “Warden”. Wardens are large, bipedal ramets  which are usually found in a resting state within the core of sculk substrate. They are only observed when they emerge due to the “summoning scream” of a shrieker ramet. Wardens are, unusually, a pupal stage of the catalyst ramet - new sculk organisms are likely spread by wandering wardens, but this has never been observed.

Wardens are exceptionally dangerous, and no research of their internal anatomy has ever been conducted. Nevertheless, some observations have been made. Wardens have a thick non-bioluminescent dermis atop a tough pseudo-skeletal shell. They are ambulatory and extremely fast and strong, and their shell is capable of constricting to let them move in cramped spaces. A form of sensors with two sensory tendrils appears to grow atop warden ramets in a parabiotic relationship, likely communicating by bioelectrical signals - no warden has been observed without the sensor. In the core of the warden, an organ or independent ramet similar to a shrieker has been observed, capable of emitting powerful sonic shrieks.

When a warden metamorphoses, it is believed that its inner organs remain intact as its extremities are dissolved into nourishment. The shell and organs within it, as well as the sensor atop its body, remain as a juvenile catalyst ramet, which forms a new sculk organism around it, feeding off the nutrients from the rest of the warden. This, however, has never been observed.

Vestigial ramets

Several vestigial ramets are occasionally observed in sculk organisms, their purposes unknown. The sole type documented is the “Jaw” ramet, the growth of which can be induced under specific environmental conditions in a lab environment.

Jaws are believed to have once served to either frighten or ensnare prey for the organism - however, the specimens procured are largely vestigial ramets with no clear method of locomotion. Some suspect that these may, however, be a component ramet of wardens. Such claims cannot be confirmed for obvious reasons.

Diet

The majority of the time, a sculk organism is simply a cave-dwelling scavenger colony. Its primary diet consists of organic matter falling into the deep caves from above - mostly bone, rotten flesh, and bat guano, though sculk is capable of digesting recently dead organisms. It is not known for cannibalism - sculk organisms have not been known to consume each other outside circumstances of extreme stress.

Sculk is immobile with exception to the warden ramet, and does not hunt prey. Despite its bioluminescence, the organism is energy-efficient and can survive months without food. In addition, large groups of individual sculk colonies are known to occasionally share nutrients between each other through their veins.

Life Cycle

Sculk organisms are hermaphroditic, but are incapable of self-reproduction. Their methods of fertilisation are unknown, and all studies have been conducted with mature catalysts. They cannot fully reproduce by budding, and new catalysts are formed sexually.

Larval proto-catalysts are likely formed within the environment of the parent organism. Through yet-undetermined mechanisms the larva is believed to metamorphose into the pupal warden form, capable of locomotion. This process does not occur when the organism is stressed, and has not been observed.

It is unknown at what point in development the warden ramet is considered mature, or what occurs afterwards. It is believed that the catalyst pupates inside the warden’s body, eventually breaking it down for nutrients from the inside out and attaching to the cave floor. The catalyst uses the nutrients gained during the pupal stage to grow its first veins as the colony develops.

Sculk is at its most vulnerable in the immediate post-pupal stage, and though it lacks natural predators, young catalysts are occasionally known to die of nutritional deficiency. The organism develops quickly, usually growing to a hundred or more veins within the first few weeks and growing its first sensors and shriekers in the first few months. Further growth is slow and dependent upon the nutrients gained by the organism. Sculk in lab conditions require five to ten tonnes of meat to grow their first sensors and shriekers.

If a colony survives its early months, it will reach a developed stage within a period of two to three years - quicker if supplied with a steady source of nutrition. Colonies are considered developed at a size of 30 to 40 square metres, as this is the most common size of single colonies in the wild. There is, however, no observed limit in size to a colony with sufficient nutrition and space to grow.

The life expectancy and mortality of sculk is unknown. No organisms have been observed to die of natural causes.

Evolution

Sculk is a eukaryotic organism previously classified as a species of medusa, and before that as a fungus. Recent genetic testing, however, has classified it as a member of a hitherto-unknown group of algae, as sculk cells lack cell walls yet contain plastids. No relatives are known.

The evolution of individual sculk ramets remains poorly studied. It is believed based on physiological similarity that sensor and shrieker ramets were once a single form which differentiated over time, but no studies have yet been performed on sculk genetics.

Ecology

Sculk is found world-wide in deepslate caves, at depths below sixty metres. It is not found underwater, though it is capable of surviving there, and is not found in dripstone caves. Sculk is rarely found in close proximity to magma.

Sculk is a scavenger with no natural predators. The organism’s threat display is not considered by biologists to be a reliable hunting method, and does not contribute significantly to the organism’s diet.

All creatures are known to sensibly avoid sculk whenever possible.

Sculk and Humans

Sculk, specifically the Warden form, has become known as a symbol of terror in modern culture. Most humans avoid sculk whenever possible. This allows sculk to live a stress free existence, and reduces human casualties from sculk.

The most practical application of sculk is the use of sensor ramets in technology. This is complicated by the living nature of the organism, but has many potential benefits to society. In addition, sculk organisms are a proposed method of disposing of organic waste - this is not recommended, however, due to the potential risks inherent in actively feeding an organism infamous for its capacity to be utterly deadly when exposed to human activity.

[reifromneongenesisevangelion]

Looking for DnD Playtesters

Hi! I'm looking for people to playtest my first full build for my dnd class, the Parabiologist. Parabiologists are scientists that create and evolve monsterous familiars known as Parabiotes.

Parabiologists are also great support characters that can aid a party in a variety of different ways thanks to their scientific expertise.

If you're interested, please message me! This is my very first full sized homebrew (with more content to come) and I'd love feedback!

[pumpkaaboo]

I HAVE AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS I SWEAR (under the cut bc i'll be using pictures of deep sea fish and i know those can be really scary-looking. i love them but not everyone does and if you don't want to see spooky fish with long teeth, that's okay, and maybe don't read the rest of this.

so the winter lanterns have mouths, and those mouths have very distinctive-looking teeth

(screenshot from a zullie the witch video)

when i saw these teeth, my special interest from 2nd grade activated and i went. oh those are deep sea fish teeth.

here's a photo of an anglerfish, which is definitely the most thematically relevant (glows, pretends to be harmless prey but is actually a dangerous predator)

but this isn't limited to anglerfish, for example take the fangtooth fish and the viperfish

this combined with the wet-sounding noises they make, the fact that they kind of look like the research hall patients (who are of course tied to water and the ocean), and the fact that two can be found in the fishing hamlet, to me feels like enough evidence to pretty definitively say that the winter lanterns are an aquatic, or at least aquatic-influenced species. and given the deep sea association, possibly tied to kos directly!

but then there's the matter of their tendrils.

they don't have suckers, so they can't be cephalopod arms or tentacles. what are they, then? well, i'm not entirely sure, but check out this pretty well-known image of an anglerfish (i made sure to reverse image search it, and the earliest results are from around 2008)

tendrils everywhere!

but there's another super interesting thing about anglerfish: they have some of the most extreme sexual dimorphism of any animal. to quote the wikipedia article on anglerfish:

"Because individuals are locally rare, encounters are also very rare. Therefore, finding a mate is problematic. When scientists first started capturing ceratioid anglerfish, they noticed that all of the specimens were female. These individuals were a few centimetres in size and almost all of them had what appeared to be parasites attached to them. It turned out that these "parasites" were highly reduced male ceratioids.

(...)

Certain ceratioids rely on parabiotic reproduction. Free-living males and unparasitized females in these species never have fully developed gonads. Thus, males never mature without attaching to a female, and die if they cannot find one.[4] At birth, male ceratioids are already equipped with extremely well-developed olfactory organs that detect scents in the water. Males of some species also develop large, highly specialized eyes that may aid in identifying mates in dark environments. The male ceratioids are significantly smaller than a female anglerfish, and may have trouble finding food in the deep sea. Furthermore, growth of the alimentary canals of some males becomes stunted, preventing them from feeding. Some taxa have jaws that are never suitable or effective for prey capture.[30] These features mean the male must quickly find a female anglerfish to prevent death."

to summarize: researchers initially only found female anglerfish, usually when dead individuals washed up to shore or in nets. eventually, they realized that what they had assumed were parasites attached to the female were actually the male anglerfish! the males of many anglerfish species are highly adapted to find and attach to females, essentially becoming a part of the female's body.

check out this video of a mated pair of anglerfish, which very prominently displays the tendrils! really cool. i love weird fish.

so okay why is this relevant

well.

winter lanterns are fish

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR : Part 191

Yonder Mystery of Bones and Reproduction

For many years, scientists thought that women were born with a limited number of oocytes (eggs) in the ovary, estimating around three thousands oocytes. This number declines by time until the age of fifty to a point of exhaustion, resulting in menopause. It is known that female flies, birds, and fish can generate new oocytes during their adult life, which has been thought to not happen in mammals like mice. Studies by Jonathan L. Tilly and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School brought evidence that new oocytes could also form during the life of an adult mouse.

The findings in mice imply that humans might also possess similar characteristics. This increases the possibility and brings hopes of having a baby even at older ages along with treatments in the future, just like in the miraculous story of Prophet Abraham and Sarah as narrated both in the Qur'an (ad-Dhariyat 51:24-30) and the Bible (Genesis 21:7), showing us one aspect of the possibility and ultimate limits of knowledge and technology that humans can attain one day so that these miracles can become true, though to some extent, with the advancement of medicine.

Bone borne eggs

An interesting study showed an unexpected source of oocytes in the bone. Study by Tilly's group at the Harvard Medical School in 2004 showed that cells in the bone marrow of mice could be a source of oocytes that are developing in the ovaries. Their first observation was the expression of genes related to egg cells in the bone marrow samples of mice. To test the possibility of bone marrow cells as a source of new oocytes, they chemically generated infertile mice. Treating mice with two chemotherapy drugs called cyclophosphamide and busulfan causes infertility. Once they treated the mice with these drugs, the mice had extensive damage in their ovaries along with an end in new oocyte production in their follicles. Ovarian follicles are spherical aggregations in the ovaries which periodically produce oocytes. Remarkably, when they transplanted bone marrow from female donors, they found a number of oocyte containing follicles (about several hundred). Interestingly, the appearance of those oocytes were rapid and thought to be due to circulating oocytes originating from the bone marrow and developing as they travel through the blood stream. Although they don't have the evidence that those cells could be fertilized, findings could lead to fundamental changes in the current understanding of the female reproductive system.

Tilly and colleagues also report that bone marrow and blood transplants could also induce the development of oocytes in a genetically infertile mice model (which has a mutation in ATM gene). This mutant mice lack follicles and developing oocytes and are unable to produce mature germ cells (egg producing cells). Their study shows that bone marrow or blood transplant from healthy donors induces production of oocytes in this mice model. They conclude from those studies that bone marrow could be a source of germ cells to the ovaries throughout adult life. Their findings are somewhat supported by the clinical studies on cancer patients who were expected to be infertile but they could have babies after bone marrow transplant.

Another study on the circulating cells for female fertility used parabiotic (the union of two mice through an exchange of blood) mice model. This study by Eggan and colleagues tested the capacity of circulating bone marrow cells to generate ovulated oocytes and could not show any contribution of bone marrow cells to ovulated oocytes. Blood or bone borne oocytes are highly debatable but bone marrow cells, at least, might have a role in enhancing women's fertility. This might lead to the treatment of infertility. In addition, it might bring new opportunities for those dreaming of having a baby even at a late stage, but requires much additional research to be realized.

Lab & bone borne sperms

Sperm formation is known to continue throughout adulthood. It involves various steps of cellular differentiations. Maturation of sperms in the body takes more than a month in most mammals. Trials to mimic this complex process in petri dishes failed to demonstrate the production of normal, fertile sperms.

Scientists had dreamed of growing sperms in petri dishes for years. Recently, researchers in Japan developed a technique that allowed production of fertile mammalian sperms in a petri dish. Attempts to make such mature sperms usually failed due to meiosis, a specific type of cell division that halves the number of chromosomes. Meiosis is very essential step for sperm cells to get ready to fuse with an egg. Ogawa and colleagues demonstrated that meiosis of sperm cells lay in a simple change to standard petri conditions. They tried various petri conditions but they ended up with a special serum free medium that is commonly used for growth of embryonic stem cells. Several weeks later, they observed formation of mature sperm cells and even half of them had flagella, a tail-like structure that sperm cells use to swim. Injection of those sperms into egg was also able to produce offspring. In addition, when they used frozen testis tissues of newborn mice, they could grow sperms as well. This discovery in reproductive biology is likely to be beneficial not only for people having infertility problems associated with sperm maturation but also children that undergo cancer therapy which destroys fertility. It is known that chemotherapy impairs fertility. Adults could freeze their sperm before such treatment, but young boys can't. This new discovery offers such patients hope. In addition, this finding opens new avenues for protection of endangered animals that might die before reaching sexual maturity. It is a matter of time for the same technique to be applied to humans and other species.

There are also reports suggesting the generation of male germ stem cells (sperm producing cells) from bone marrow. Mesenchymal stem cells, which are derived from the bone marrow, have shown to differentiate into male germ cells. Studies testing the effect of retinoic acid and testicular extracts showed to induce human bone marrow stem cells to differentiate into male germ cells as shown by male germ-cell specific marker expressions. Another approach tested the possibility that bone marrow-derived stem cells would differentiate into germ cells when transplanted into the mouse testis. Using GFP positive bone marrow cells transplantations, it has been demonstrated that bone marrow-derived stem cells can also be induced to differentiate into germ cells. Interestingly, there seems to be a connection between bones and fertility.

Bones and fertility

The Qur'an tells the story of Prophet Zachariah, peace be upon him, when he secretly prayed to God to ask for a successor. He said "My Lord! My bones have grown feeble and my head glistens with gray hair from old age..." (Maryam 19:4). His prayer was accepted and the angels came with the glad tidings of his son, John. He was surprised as to how he could have a son while his wife was barren and that he had already reached infirmity in old age. It has been said by scholars that weakness of bones here refers to weakness in engaging in sex due to old age and gray hairs as a sign of infertility. It is also worthy to mention another verse where the creation of human is described as happening from a lowly fluid that gushes forth the vertebra and rib bones: Let human, then, consider from what he has been created. He has been created from some of a lowly fluid gushing forth. It proceeds (as a result of incitement) between the (lumbar zone in the) vertebra and the ribs (At-Tariq 86:5−7). As commentator Ali Unal explains, these verses refer to both the mechanism of the ejection of the seminal fluid and where it is emitted, which is a relatively recent discovery in biology. Remarkably, the Qur'an mentions two major bones where this fluid is emerging. Our current knowledge in medicine do not say anything about the role of ribs in reproduction or fertility but both the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions mention the creation of Eve from Adam's ribs, peace be upon him. Could this refer to the relation between bones and fertility? God knows best. Lastly, it is of importance to note that one of the symptoms of menopause is the loss of bone mass. Isn't it amazing how mysterious events regarding bones and fertility are taking place beyond our control and knowledge?

[bjgaulton]

Parabiotic by Blair Gaulton

Parabiotic

Parabiotic disbelief

BJG(Blair Gaulton)Nov 2019

[642stories]

Story 48 "Metamorphosis vs Parabiosis"

This story came to me in a creative writing club I'm currently participating in.

The theme of this season is “Metamorphosis.” It is inspired by Kafka’s novella of the same name. The first sentence of the novella goes, “One morning Gregor Samsa woke in his bed from uneasy dreams and found he had turned into a large verminous insect.” (Translations vary slightly). 

The prompt: 

Write a story that begins with the sentence “One morning [Name of Character] woke in his bed from uneasy dreams and found/realized/saw he had turned into/become … .” 

___

“So one morning I woke up in my bed from uneasy dreams and found… you there,” he grinned at her and she couldn’t suppress a smile of her own.

“You believe in fate?” he snorted at her words, and Ani poked him with an elbow under his ribs.

“What else would you call it? We were broken and then suddenly we weren’t. This is a quintessence of a metamorphosis.”

“We are past that phase, Ani. We are more like a part of a parabiotic experiment now.” M. finished his drink in one gulp and put a glass on the coaster with a muffled thump.

“Parabiosis,” he raised an index finger to draw Ani’s attention. “That’s what it is. Remember how we met?” under the table he put a hand on her bare leg, his fingers brushing the soft skin near the hem of her skirt.

M. had big pale hands, which stood in stark contrast to the rest of his body – tanned, tall and seemingly fragile as if he was a good ten pounds below slim. Exactly the way when she first had seen him at the entryway of the intensive care unit. In a narrow hallway she brushed arms with a beautiful stranger, oblivious to the world around him. A silent sorry slipped past his lips and when their eyes met she couldn’t look away. Unable to move sideways, glued to the man standing at the door, she just kept staring, confronted by the pain etched on his face. His sharp hollow cheekbones and purple shadows under the bloodshot eyes did a poor job at masking his beauty. He looked like he was holding the weight of the whole universe on his fragile shoulders, yet he had found the strength to wind up on his feet.

Without giving it much thought – any thought – she caught his trembling hands and intertwined their fingers. In retrospect, it had been a bold move, the one she would never find an explanation for. The man didn’t flinch or pull away, just stirred Ani closer and encircled her with his big hands breaking into wrecking sobs in her embrace. He was tall and she barely reached the middle of his chest encased in a plain gray t-shirt, her forehead pressed into his pectoralis major, her lips against his heart, contracting two hundred beats a minute. He smelled like medicine, coffee and sunflower seeds.

Whatever his ache was, it echoed her own, and she stood there quietly, absorbing his tears with her hair and his sorrow with her soul.

She could never forget his frenzied kisses as he’d mapped out her luscious curves with his big pale hands. As he’d pounded into her, his body slick with sweat. As he’d bawled pressed to the sharp cut of her clavicle in the aftermath of his climax. As the sobs had racked his body and she kept rubbing soothing circles over his back.

Her heart clenched at the memory. M. reached over to wipe off a lone tear trickling down her cheek, the sea blue of his own clouded with moisture. And then he smiled.  They both were in tatters, and then they weren’t. The metamorphosis, indeed.

M. bent over the table and kissed the hollow of her neck. Ani pulled away, trying to look him in the eye, his breaths still dancing across her skin quickening her pulse traitorously. He was drawing numbers with his tongue on her flushed skin, dragging his lips to that sweet spot behind her ear, which he knew damn well made her squirm on her seat. She panted. She wanted him to take her back home and undress. The idea of making love to him was uppermost in her mind. She told him so.

He chuckled softly and nodded at a pizza on the table.

“You don’t want your pizza? I thought you were hungry!”

“Famished actually! Just not for pizza.”

M. looked down at her plate, his hand moving towards the apex of her thighs.

“Pizza is an example of parabiosis.” M. continued calmly as if giving a lecture. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Just think about it! They put cheese on this perfect oval of dough and then – voila – you get an entirely new thing. Parabiosis, Ani.”

“Did you just compare me with a slice of mozzarella?”

 “More like a sprinkle of Parmesan… You, me, combined together. A family, a child, the whole nine yards. Parabiosis.”

“Well, as you said, it’s clear that we are way past the metamorphosis stage.” Ani got out of the booth and extended a hand to M.

“Time to start the parabiosis phase, Romeo. Let’s go.”

[i-topinarabic-blog]

Nutra BioGenesis, ParaBiotic Plus, 90 Capsules

Nutra BioGenesis, ParaBiotic Plus, 90 Capsules انقر لمشاهدة المقالة كاملة Nutra BioGenesis, ParaBiotic Plus, 90 Capsules

Dietary Supplement

Formulates Exclusively for Healthcare Professionals

Gluten Free

Eskaloft is a blend of nutrients, botanicals, and amino acids intended to nutritionally support a balanced nervous system.

Suggested Use Use only as directed. Take 2 capsules daily or as directed by your healthcare practitioner. 

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[cato-uticensis]

One sex being a different color from the other is a relatively mild example of sexual dimorphism. Angler fish, for example, use parabiotic reproduction, where at some point the males attach to the females and become little more than gonads. If that exist in realities, then I can believe that two dragons of the same species are different colors.

Hey what’s up, that HTTYD 3 poster got me fucked up

So this official poster has been released for How To Train Your Dragon 3 and it has left me with… opinions. 

My first initial reaction was excitement! Oh hell yeah HTTYD 3 is coming out! I adored the first two! But then i saw…

SIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHHHH I knew immediately that this was most likely a female night fury and fuck yeah shit fuck it is which is so disappointing. I could write a huge essay on how female characters are portrayed in media. I could write a massive blog about smurfette syndrome and how female characters are always just a pink, soft version of their male counterparts, or how female animal or anthro characters still have to fall into society’s beauty standards so we do crazy things like give ducks tits or large eyelashes. 

I COULD talk about why these things occur, and how this is a worrying reflection of how society views human females, that males are the default and females are the other… but I’m not going to do that TODAY.

Hi my name is India and not only do I have an animation degree, but I also have a degree in animal and veterinary science.

This design doesn’t just insult me as an animator. This design insults me as a scientist. 

Let’s begin. 

Keep reading

[ideacollector]

Blood from young animals can revitalise old ones

annotated article // Economist

growing body of research shows positive effects on health/aging/longevity

linking a young rat to an old one can boost the older one’s bone density

mammalian bone density usually drops with age

elderly rats which shared blood with young ones also lived 4-5mo longer

“parabiotic disease”, in which one animal’s immune system rebels against the foreign blood, can be a problem

research had more or less died out by the late 1970s

modern interest began again in 2005

injured muscles of an old mouse heal more effectively when joined with young mice

doubled or tripled proliferation rate of liver cells

works backwards, too

old blood can impair neuron growth in young brains and decrepify youthful muscles

operates across species

infusing old mice with blood from the umbilical cords of infant humans improved their performance on memory tests

less clear what the mechanism is

the working theory is that chemical signals in young blood are doing something to stem cells in older animals

stem cells are special cells kept in reserve as means to repair and regrow damaged tissue. Like every other part of the body, they wear out as an animal ages

something in the youngsters’ blood seems to restore their ability to proliferate and encourages them to repair damage with the same vigor as those belonging to a younger animal would

researchers have been comparing the chemical composition of old and young blood, searching for those chemicals that show the biggest changes in level between the two

oxytocin – transmitter of signals between neurons

proteins GDF-11 and TGF beta-1 – affect cell behavior

B2M – affects the body’s ability to absorb iron from food

cells from the young animal, rather than chemicals in its blood, could be doing some of the work

only a few cells from a younger mouse take root in an older animal

the number of cells may not reflect their importance

some companies are setting up trials

using donated blood plasma

because blood plasma is a natural product, it is not patentable – hard to get drug companies to sponsor certain areas of research, like Ambrosia

there is research into seeing if (a) the treatment is safe and (b) it can reverse some of the effects of Alzheimers

blood transfusions are routine procedures

reversing Alzheimers seems to happen in mice

occasionally get immune reactions even with well-matched donors, sometimes anaphylaxis

if the treatment is safe, he says, and if it proves effective, then the next step will be to identify and isolate the responsible compounds

such compounds would be patentable—particularly if they were then made synthetically

there is simply not enough donated blood around to treat the world’s 44m Alzheimer’s patients with plasma extracts

it’s been difficult to replicate results of certain studies

“talk of reversing aging is premature”

rather than lengthening lifespan, says Dr Lord, it is better to think about lengthening “healthspan”

[eurekamag--com]

Low level of mixing of partner cells seen in extrathymic T cells in the liver and intestine of parabiotic mice

http://dlvr.it/NJXQKq

[i-topinarabic-blog]

Nutra BioGenesis, BioCleanse Plus, 1 lb 12 oz (800 g)

Nutra BioGenesis, BioCleanse Plus, 1 lb 12 oz (800 g) انقر لمشاهدة المقالة كاملة Nutra BioGenesis, BioCleanse Plus, 1 lb 12 oz (800 g)

Dietary Supplement

Formulated Exclusively for Healthcare Professionals

Gluten Free

ParaBiotic Plus is a comprehensive blend of concentrated essential oils and standardized herbal extracts designed to provide nutritive support for healthy intestinal and immune system function.

Suggested Use Use only as directed. Take 3 capsules twice daily or as directed by your healthcare practitioner. 

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