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Scientists Find Gut Microbe That Survives Without Mitochondria (npr.org)
An anonymous reader writes: Scientists have found a eukaryote microbe that completely lacks mitochondria, which are the powerhouses inside eukaryotic cells, the type of cells that make up humans, animals, plants and fungi. All eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus, organelles and mitochondrion. Scientists believe they were once free-living bacteria that got engulfed by primitive, ancient cells that were evolving to become what they are today. Anna Karnkowska, a researcher in evolutionary biology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, found a gut microbe that contains no trace that it made any mitochondrial proteins at all. "That should theoretically kill the cell -- it shouldn't exist," she said. The researchers learned that these cells use a kind of machinery that is different than relying on mitochondria to assemble iron-sulfur clusters, which is thought to be a mitochondrial function. Michael Gray, biochemist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, calls the discovery of a eukaryote without any vestige of mitochondrion, "unprecedented." He adds, the results do not negate the idea that the acquisition of a mitochondrion was an important and perhaps defining event in the evolution of eukaryotic cells, because this organism's ancestors had mitochondria that were then lost after the cells acquired their non-mitochondrial system for making iron-sulfur clusters.
Lots of science research has no immediate or apparent value, but may lead to something that does. It adds to the sum of human knowledge, which is usually a good thing.
By the way, stop rubbing those two sticks together, it's a waste of time that won't lead to anything. And that round "wheel" thing those eggheads came up with will never find a use, mark my words.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
Basic research is what leads to medical breakthroughs, new drugs, etc etc. Increasing our understanding of other biological systems of different species helps better our understanding of our own biology. Possibly even saving our asses from some nasty new disease.
As for grant money from taxpayers, I think we get a better return on giving grant money to researchers than we do on defense spending.
It's amusing to me that for so many people funding military adventures in the mideast is a good use of taxpayer funds, but holy shit if we give money to those scientists!
I hope you die of a completely curable disease since you know, science.