This Is The First Animal Ever Found That Doesn't Need Oxygen to Survive
July 5, 2024 8:40 PM Subscribe
This Is The First Animal Ever Found That Doesn't Need Oxygen to Survive. In 2020, scientists discovered a jellyfish-like parasite that doesn't have a mitochondrial genome – the first multicellular organism ever found with such an absence. That means it doesn't breathe; in fact, it lives its life completely free of oxygen dependency.
Life started to develop the ability to metabolize oxygen - that is, respirate - sometime over 1.45 billion years ago. A larger archaeon engulfed a smaller bacterium, and somehow the bacterium's new home was beneficial to both parties, and the two stayed together.
That symbiotic relationship resulted in the two organisms evolving together, and eventually those bacteria ensconced within became organelles called mitochondria. Every cell in your body except red blood cells has large numbers of mitochondria, and these are essential for the respiration process.
They break down oxygen to produce a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, which multicellular organisms use to power cellular processes.
We know there are adaptations that allow some organisms to thrive in low-oxygen, or hypoxic, conditions. Some single-celled organisms have evolved mitochondria-related organelles for anaerobic metabolism; but the possibility of exclusively anaerobic multicellular organisms had been the subject of some scientific debate.
That was, until a team of researchers led by Dayana Yahalomi of Tel Aviv University in Israel decided to take another look at a common salmon parasite called Henneguya salminicola.
Life started to develop the ability to metabolize oxygen - that is, respirate - sometime over 1.45 billion years ago. A larger archaeon engulfed a smaller bacterium, and somehow the bacterium's new home was beneficial to both parties, and the two stayed together.
That symbiotic relationship resulted in the two organisms evolving together, and eventually those bacteria ensconced within became organelles called mitochondria. Every cell in your body except red blood cells has large numbers of mitochondria, and these are essential for the respiration process.
They break down oxygen to produce a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, which multicellular organisms use to power cellular processes.
We know there are adaptations that allow some organisms to thrive in low-oxygen, or hypoxic, conditions. Some single-celled organisms have evolved mitochondria-related organelles for anaerobic metabolism; but the possibility of exclusively anaerobic multicellular organisms had been the subject of some scientific debate.
That was, until a team of researchers led by Dayana Yahalomi of Tel Aviv University in Israel decided to take another look at a common salmon parasite called Henneguya salminicola.
..and why, if they now parasitize O2-breathing species
posted by ver at 10:31 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]
posted by ver at 10:31 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]
Bit of a stretch to insist that a parasite doesn't need stuff that its host organism does. Looks to me like these beasties have not so much lost their mitochondria as outsourced them.
posted by flabdablet at 11:24 PM on July 5 [8 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 11:24 PM on July 5 [8 favorites]
Is this the new Parasite Eve sequel?
posted by catcafe at 11:37 PM on July 5 [4 favorites]
posted by catcafe at 11:37 PM on July 5 [4 favorites]
Yeah these little dudes don't need oxygen like libertarians don't need society.
posted by automatronic at 6:04 AM on July 6 [18 favorites]
posted by automatronic at 6:04 AM on July 6 [18 favorites]
Hey I know those ATP-alternative guys!
We used to work together.
posted by Lenie Clarke at 6:39 AM on July 6 [3 favorites]
We used to work together.
posted by Lenie Clarke at 6:39 AM on July 6 [3 favorites]
Immortan Joe: do not become addicted to oxygen…
posted by funkaspuck at 8:25 AM on July 6 [1 favorite]
posted by funkaspuck at 8:25 AM on July 6 [1 favorite]
First thought:
This is neat.
Second thought:
Ugh. Ick. Blargh.
Third thought:
They are coming. This will not end well.
posted by BlueHorse at 10:46 AM on July 6
This is neat.
Second thought:
Ugh. Ick. Blargh.
Third thought:
They are coming. This will not end well.
posted by BlueHorse at 10:46 AM on July 6
Archaeon? I hardly know him!
posted by rhizome at 12:50 AM on July 7 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 12:50 AM on July 7 [1 favorite]
They break down oxygen to produce a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, which multicellular organisms use to power cellular processes.
No one is breaking down oxygen, it's an element. I would like them instead to have said mitochondria use oxygen to convert sugar to ATP.
Also, there are other organisms that do not utilize oxygen:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissimilatory_metal-reducing_microorganisms
posted by hypnogogue at 10:06 AM on July 7 [1 favorite]
No one is breaking down oxygen, it's an element. I would like them instead to have said mitochondria use oxygen to convert sugar to ATP.
Also, there are other organisms that do not utilize oxygen:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissimilatory_metal-reducing_microorganisms
posted by hypnogogue at 10:06 AM on July 7 [1 favorite]
No one is breaking down oxygen, it's an element.
Atmospheric oxygen exists as O2 molecules, and aerobic organisms do indeed break these apart, as does simple combustion. Can't make water (H2O) without breaking apart O2 (or CO2 for that matter - the structure of a carbon dioxide molecule is O=C=O, the oxygen atoms each sharing both their available bonding sites with the central carbon and not with each other).
there are other organisms that do not utilize oxygen
Plenty! No other animals that we know of, though.
posted by flabdablet at 2:06 PM on July 7 [1 favorite]
Atmospheric oxygen exists as O2 molecules, and aerobic organisms do indeed break these apart, as does simple combustion. Can't make water (H2O) without breaking apart O2 (or CO2 for that matter - the structure of a carbon dioxide molecule is O=C=O, the oxygen atoms each sharing both their available bonding sites with the central carbon and not with each other).
there are other organisms that do not utilize oxygen
Plenty! No other animals that we know of, though.
posted by flabdablet at 2:06 PM on July 7 [1 favorite]
By jove you're right!
posted by hypnogogue at 6:53 PM on July 7
posted by hypnogogue at 6:53 PM on July 7
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