This Chernobyl Creature Shows Surprising Radiation Resistance.mp4

Amaze Lab

Back in 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant melted down, resulting in the largest nuclear disaster in human history. The surrounding area was evacuated, as lingering radiation will leave Pripyat uninhabitable for humans the next 20,000 years. However, this creature doesn’t seem to find radiation a problem.

Transcript

00:00Back in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant melted down, resulting in the largest

00:09nuclear disaster in human history. The surrounding area was evacuated, and lingering radiation will

00:15leave Pripyat uninhabitable for the next 20,000 years. However, recently, scientists studying

00:20the effects of radiation on the myriad animal species there noticed something interesting.

00:24Some microscopic worms that reside there show no signs of radiation. Other tests on creatures in

00:30the area have revealed clear signs of radiation damage, and the number of invertebrates in general

00:35has decreased as well. So researchers collected hundreds of nematodes from all over the Chernobyl

00:40exclusion zone and tested them, their offspring, and looked at the genetic sequencing of both,

00:45finding that despite living in a high-radiation environment, there was not only no greater rate

00:49of mutation amongst those worms, but they also didn't show signs of DNA damage. What's more,

00:54the specific strain of worms, Otypulae, didn't seem to pass on any markers of radiation exposure

00:59to their offspring, with the study concluding that they must be more tolerant to radiation

01:04for some reason, though they still don't know why. The researchers say this find could be monumental

01:09and could lead to new medicines to help combat the horrific effects of radiation exposure.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended