August 20 2017, 12:16

Here’s who climbed out from the ocean depths onto the beach with four eyes (the swordtail, the most ancient of known species today, by the way)

Interesting:

“…If you’ve ever had any kind of vaccination, your life may well owe thanks to the North American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). An extract from the blood of this creature—known as ‘limulus amoebocyte lysate’, or LAL—is used in the pharmaceutical industry to test drugs, vaccines, and medical devices such as artificial kidneys, to ensure they are free of dangerous microbes. No other test works as simply and reliably. The horseshoe crab lives on the seabed in shallow waters, which are often polluted. A liter of seawater from such an area can contain over a trillion toxic bacteria. The horseshoe crab has no immune system and cannot produce antibodies to fight infections. Instead, its blood contains a miracle ingredient that blocks invasive viruses and bacteria by clotting around them. It is this property that is utilized in the production of LAL. To determine whether something intended for medical use is contaminated or not, it just needs to be exposed to LAL: if it does not clot, then all is well. Unlike human blood, horseshoe crab blood does not contain hemoglobin, where iron is the oxygen-carrying agent; instead, it has hemocyanin, which uses copper, making their blood blue. It sells for $15,000 per liter.”