Bio Facts
Listed below are some of the amazing facts in the living world. I am constantly scouring the Net for them. Hope you find them as amazing too! :)
Only ONE Chromosome!
Ever wondered which organism has the fewest number of chromosomes? It is a subspecies of the ant - Myrmecia pilosula, in which females have a single pair of chromosomes. This species reproduces by a process called haplodiploidy, in which fertilized eggs (diploid) become females, while unfertilized eggs (haploid) develop into males. Hence, the males of this group of ants have, in each of their cells, a single chromosome.
Maximum Chromosomes
And the organism with the maximum number of chromosomes? The fern Ophioglossum reticulatum has roughly 630 pairs of chromosomes (i.e. 1260 chromosomes) per cell. And you know how many we humans have in individual cells?
Number of Chromosomes in Apes
While humans have 46 chromosomes, apes (chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans) have 48! Close relatives! (Hope you can differentiate one from the other in the pictures alongside!)
Brazilian Railroad Worm (Phrixothrix)
Wingless females and larvae of the railroad worm possess two head lanterns that emit red light while the insects walk over the ground. There are also 11 pairs of yellow-green lateral lanterns along their sides, which are probably used defensively to warn off predators. There are many other insects etc that also "glow". This phenomenon is known as bioluminescence. (Source: http://accessscience.com/)
Does a blind person dream?
People who are blind from birth do not see visual images in dreams. They have auditory dreams though! (with sounds etc) However, individuals who have lost eyesight later in life are capable of dreaming in visual images as well.
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