Vita Incognita #1: Henneguya zschokkei, who needs mitochondria ?
Did you know there’s a parasite that has no mitochondria, mitochondrial DNA, doesn’t use aerobic respiration and relies on an as of yet undiscovered energy metabolism* ? those are some very fundamental characteristics of pretty much all eukaryotes and multicellular life forms.
The little guy lives in salmon muscle, and is thought to have evolved from jellyfish cancer (wtf)
Henneguya zschokkei or Henneguya salminicola is a species of a myxosporean endoparasite. More about it here !
"The imagination of nature is far, far greater than the imagination of man." – Richard Feynman
**The mitochondria: tiny structures in cells that act like power plants, providing energy for the cell to carry out its functions. They basically use sugar and oxygen to make energy in the form of ATP, a molecule that can be used by all kinds of body structures to fuel their functions*
**Aerobic respiration: Aerobic respiration is the process by which cells use oxygen to break down glucose (a type of sugar) and produce energy*
**Energy metabolism: Energy metabolism is the process by which a life form turns food into energy that it needs to function.*