This specimen looks very similar to a jellyfish and lacks a mitochondrial genome, so it is capable of not breathing.
Fish. Photo: Unsplash
Nature never stops surprising the scientific community. A recent investigation carried out by experts from the Tel Aviv University in Israeldiscovered the first animal in the world that It does not need oxygen to survive.
This tiny parasite, called Henneguya salminicola, lives in salmon tissue and achieved an evolution never seen before, because unlike other organisms, it does not use mitochondria for its energy production, that is, it He doesn’t breathe.
The article, published in the magazine Science Alertrevealed that this animal began to develop its independence from oxygen ago more than 1,450 million years and looks very similar to corals, jellyfish and anemones.
Jellyfish. Photo Unsplash.
Since it joined the ecosystem of its host, this parasite became inseparable, due to the benefits it brings, as it allows it to survive in fairly hypoxic conditions. This amazing adaptation of the organism is a clear example of the evolution of animal respiration. Furthermore, the discovery challenges the preconceptions of science.
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The key is in the DNA
During the studies, scientists discovered that Henneguya salminicola lost your aerobic capacity and also, almost all nuclear genes involved in the transcription and replication of mitochondria.
Through analysis of the parasite’s DNA, it was discovered that they lost much of the jellyfish’s original genome, your direct ancestorbut they retained their complex cellular structure that gives them a unique shape that helps them adapt to their hosts.
Genes, genetics, science. Photo: Unsplash
“H. salminicola provides an opportunity to understand the evolutionary transition from an aerobic metabolism to an exclusive anaerobic one,” the article states.
