Buzz
Animals have captured our hearts, from playful puppies to fluffy kittens, but their impact goes far beyond the joy they bring. They're essential in fields like medicine and aerospace, playing a pivotal role in advancing human progress.
Researchers constantly explore the fascinating abilities of animals, applying their unique traits to solve human challenges. From our most intelligent and trainable creatures to the remarkable biochemical adaptations of lesser-known species, animals offer unexpected solutions. Here are ten surprising ways animals help humanity that you might not have known about.
10. Proteins from Keyhole Limpets
Keyhole limpets, sea snails with cone-shaped shells and a tiny hole at the top, hold a secret power. They produce a protein called keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), which is used in various medicines, from cancer and Alzheimer's treatments to vaccines for both animals and humans. The protein's intricate structure makes it ideal for combating diseases due to its multiple binding sites, allowing it to easily connect with other particles.
Limpets aren't the only marine creatures used in surprising ways by humans. For instance, kelp is a key ingredient in creating the smooth texture of products like ice cream and toothpaste. However, the proteins from keyhole limpets play a vital role in medications for serious conditions, and entire companies focus on producing and selling KLH. This industry continues to grow as we uncover more uses for KLH in medicine. Since limpets are invertebrates without a true brain, their use in medical research also sidesteps the ethical dilemmas that typically arise when animals are used in scientific testing.
9. Cancer-Detecting Dogs
Dogs make several appearances on this list, thanks to their intelligence, trainability, and undeniable charm. With approximately 60 times more sensory nerves in their noses than humans, dogs have long been known for their ability to sniff out cancer. You might have seen this mentioned in the news and thought, 'How cute!' But there's substantial scientific proof supporting this. In the early 1990s, dogs were tested to see if they could detect cancer by smelling urine samples from both cancer patients and healthy individuals. Remarkably, the dogs were able to correctly identify cancer samples about 95 percent of the time, detecting cancers from liver to lung to breast cancer.
Although it's unlikely that dogs alone would ever be used to detect cancer in patients (as much as having them around might brighten a doctor's office), researchers have found a way to incorporate their incredible sense of smell into diagnostic technology. A device has been created that mimics the chemical compounds dogs' noses detect, which are linked to cancerous cells. While further funding is needed for this approach to become fully viable, the scientific foundation is already there.
8. Diabetes-Detecting Dogs
What started as a charming anecdote about dogs predicting low blood sugar in diabetes patients has evolved into an established fact. Reports of dogs alerting owners to blood sugar drops became frequent enough that scientists began investigating. By studying the exhaled breath of diabetes patients, they discovered that when blood sugar falls dangerously low, the level of a chemical called isoprene nearly doubles. Humans can't detect this change, but our dogs' remarkable noses can.
This discovery is incredibly impressive and potentially life-saving. Trained dogs can alert their owners to these blood sugar fluctuations, giving them crucial time to eat and stabilize their glucose levels, preventing fainting or even seizures. These diabetes alert dogs (DADs) are available for purchase, though they come with a hefty price tag. Training them is challenging, and the dogs can cost up to $20,000, not to mention the additional $1,000 per year for feeding them.
7. Falconry at Airports
If you’ve seen the movie *Sully*, about a pilot whose plane loses both engines and has to make an emergency water landing on the Hudson River, you may be familiar with this entry. The movie was based on a real incident in which birds struck both engines of a plane shortly after takeoff, causing the engines to fail. You might think there should be an easy solution to this kind of problem. It turns out, there is.
At airports, trained falcons are used to scare away smaller birds that could collide with planes during takeoff. They use specific warning calls, and this practice is widespread in the U.S., where bird strikes on planes can cost over $500 million annually. A single engine replacement can reach up to $2 million. The cost of training falcons seems minimal in comparison, especially when you consider the statistics. Without falconry, there’s about a one-in-four chance of a bird strike on a plane. So, next time you're flying, be sure to thank your bird trainer!
6. Growing Human Organs in Animals
As of January 2017, nearly 80,000 people in the United States were waiting for some form of organ transplant. It's clear that not all of these individuals will receive a viable organ in time. To address this, scientists have been working on developing ways to grow healthy human organs independently. While progress has been made, the process is still far from being commercially viable.
Researchers have successfully grown human organs inside large animals, such as pigs, by using stem cells extracted from the transplant recipient's skin. These stem cells are unique because they don’t have a fixed growth path and can develop into any type of tissue or organ. The challenge, however, lies in the ethical concerns. For the stem cells to develop into a needed organ, the animals must be genetically engineered to lack the organ so that the body signals the stem cells to create it. Currently, there’s a ban on using this method due to widespread ethical objections against using animals to grow human organs.
5. Cancer Immunity in Sharks
For those who are afraid of sharks and wish they could swim in the ocean without fearing a shark attack, it's worth noting that these creatures may possess genes capable of saving many human lives. Recent studies have discovered that sharks have a heightened immunity to cancer, thanks to their evolved immune systems. The most fearsome sharks, such as hammerheads and great whites, carry genes that are similar to those found in humans. These genes, named 'legumain' and 'Bag1,' offer remarkable cancer resistance.
Bag1 is involved in a process called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This might sound worse than it is, but apoptosis is a vital system that helps eliminate damaged cells, including cancerous ones. In the case of cancer, this process becomes faulty or overwhelmed by mutated cells. Scientists believe that Bag1 plays a key role in controlling this process of apoptosis.
Sharks have an incredible ability to heal from open wounds and maintain a low infection rate, even though they are constantly exposed to bacteria in the ocean. While researchers are still working to understand how sharks heal so effectively, it appears that specific genes found in sharks and rays, but not in bony fish, are integral to this remarkable healing process.
4. Dogs Sniffing for Science
Alright, this is the last dog fact, I promise. Yes, dogs are known for sniffing out cancer and diabetes, but their sense of smell can also be used for other purposes. Scientists have discovered a cost-effective way to combat invasive plant species by training dogs to sniff them out, helping to protect and preserve our natural environments. Companies specializing in this kind of conservation science are thriving.
Picture this as your dream job: spending your days with a friendly dog, training it to identify a specific plant scent, and then heading into a field to let it do its thing. This is an actual job, and I might need to consider a career change. Teams of eight to ten dogs can find about twice as many invasive plants as humans can, simply by sniffing. The method is not only effective but also affordable, as scientists don't need to spend $20,000 on specialized dogs—they can often train their own.
3. Plastic-Devouring Worms
Plastic is one of the world’s most persistent pollution problems. It piles up all over the planet, often ending up in the oceans. If you take a walk along a beach littered with pollution, you'll find plastic from all corners of the globe, some of it having traveled thousands of miles. This issue claims the lives of countless marine creatures each year, and humans are constantly searching for creative, cost-effective ways to reduce plastic usage and pollution. Fortunately, there is already an animal that has discovered how to tackle our plastic bag dilemma.
The larvae of wax moths, often used as bait by fishermen, have an amazing ability to consume plastic without suffering any harm. Since this discovery, scientists have been investigating these tiny worms to explore whether they could play a significant role in reducing human waste. While we know they can digest plastic, it’s still unclear if they can live and thrive solely on plastic. These worms are only a few centimeters long, so a large number of them would be needed to make an impact. However, if their love for plastic proves true, they could soon be bred and released to tackle human trash.
2. Oysters Removing Nitrogen
In 2014, ExxonMobil launched a project that is scheduled to be completed by 2030, aiming to introduce one billion oysters into the coastal ecosystem of New York. Over the past three years since the project began, around 20 million oysters have already been added. This ambitious initiative requires significant time, resources, and manpower. However, it serves a crucial purpose. Oysters, like other mollusks, store nitrogen in their systems to maintain balance, which can help foster a healthier marine environment, especially in areas where excessive nitrogen encourages harmful algae growth.
Marine creatures must find ways to handle nitrogen to survive. Fish, mollusks, and other marine species expel ammonia in their urine, which is highly toxic. Oysters, on the other hand, store nitrogen and excrete waste in different forms. While ammonia contains a single nitrogen molecule, releasing uric acid or urea helps expel larger amounts of nitrogen. In New York Harbor, oysters filter nitrogen-rich water, converting it into less harmful substances, ultimately improving water quality and promoting a safer ecosystem.
1. Algae Used In Biofuels
While algae are not technically animals, their uses can be surprising and impactful. Algae are being developed as a renewable energy source, from tiny single-celled varieties to large kelp. Their ability to photosynthesize could play a key role in solving the energy crisis. With thousands of types of photosynthetic algae, each with its own unique properties, using them as fuel could be a highly cost-effective solution. This may be the next step toward affordable and sustainable energy.
The process may be a bit tricky for those of us without a PhD, but essentially it involves extracting lipids from algae and subjecting them to high heat and pressure in a process called hydrothermal liquefaction. This method concentrates the energy produced by the algal cells, potentially transforming it into products like jet fuel, gasoline, and ethanol. Major oil corporations, such as ExxonMobil, have started to take notice of this science. While the development of this technology is still in progress, it's clear that the potential of these small organisms is undeniable.
