(no subject)

[theweaselking]

On the topic of "cool", we have a living, human-derived extraordinarily voracious vaguely amoeboid life.

Helacyton gartleri: derived from cervical cancer cells taken from a woman named Henrietta Lacks, who died in 1951, and circulated (without Lacks's knowledge or permission) by George Gey. These cancer cells are considered "immortal" (that is, they do not die of old age and can divide an unlimited number of times, unlike most other human cells), and have been grown in cell culture in an unbroken lineage ever since.

Some researchers have argued that these cells are a separate species, because they reproduce and spread on their own; in 1991 it was named and described as Helacyton gartleri.

Speciation rules.

Comments

[ursulav.livejournal.com]

The astonishing thing here is that despite having given them their own genus, they are, of course, genetically human. So we have a case of macroevolution that almost couldn't be any more macro--from distinct hominid to distinct single-celled organism, in one easy mutation. (There's even been some suggestion that they should technically be Homo somethingorother but that gets into esoteric realms of taxonomy where armchair science enthusiasts such as myself fear to tread.)

But really, to top that feat, somebody's gonna have to have their cervix turn into blue-green algae.

Re: Not bacteria

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Point. Edited.

[frith]

This sounds like material for the X-Files. Immortal proto-humanoids roaming the sewers, born of shed cervical cancer cells and innocently flushed down the loo. Scratch that. It's more of a rewrite of the Monty Python sketch, How to Put the Budgie Down.