In 2020, researchers at Tel Aviv University, led by Dayana Yahalomi, made an exciting discovery! They found a creature called Henneguya salminicola. This is the first multi-cell organism that can live without oxygen. It is a parasitic jellyfish-like creature that lives inside salmon. This discovery challenges what we thought we knew about the need for oxygen in complex life forms. It changes important biological ideas all over the world!
It’s amazing that Henneguya salminicola can live without using oxygen and doesn’t even have essential mitochondria.
This creature comes from jellyfish ancestors that lived freely in the sea. Over time, it became a parasite that lives inside fish. Without mitochondria, it makes energy in a different way, called anaerobically. This goes against what we usually know about how animals work. The study, shared in PNAS, brings up new questions about how life evolves and makes energy. Scientists are still studying how this surprising way of living works!
These changes dramatically redefine what we know about life’s limits and what might be possible on our planet!
This special finding makes us think again about what role oxygen plays in life. It suggests that other similar life forms could live in tough places without oxygen. This could change how we look for life on other planets. This discovery is leading to a new way of thinking in studies about evolution and space life!
Conclusion
Recap of Key Points: Researchers found Henneguya salminicola, a creature living without oxygen. This challenges biological norms and encourages a reevaluation of life’s boundaries.
Henneguya salminicola inspires a rethink of oxygen’s role in life. This breakthrough may reshape evolutionary studies and astrobiological research.
