[bong rip]
[exhale]
lobsters made a deal with the devil for conditional immortality and it backfired on them. you cannot change my mind
[exhale]
lobsters made a deal with the devil for conditional immortality and it backfired on them. you cannot change my mind
WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW, JORDAN PETERSON
ok so basically
lobsters do not die of old age. the only thing time does to a lobster is make it bigger and bigger, if environmental conditions are good
this is because they have a secret molecular trick over all of us senescent rubes: constant production of telomerase
lobsters do not die of old age. the only thing time does to a lobster is make it bigger and bigger, if environmental conditions are good
this is because they have a secret molecular trick over all of us senescent rubes: constant production of telomerase
this Grade-A Big Boy is massive- 22 lbs, easily 50 years old. but it isnât even as big as the largest lobster ever caught, in 1977- 44 lbs, estimated at 140 years old
Telomeres are like shoelace caps on the ends of your chromosomes- a buffer zone, codes for nothing, keeps it from unwraveling
look, hereâs yours, the little white spots on these human chromosomes
how do these things relate to our inevitable decline into death? hereâs the deal
look, hereâs yours, the little white spots on these human chromosomes
how do these things relate to our inevitable decline into death? hereâs the deal
Itâs one sequence, over and over, for humans: TTAGGG
every time your cells divide, they lose a little bit off the end of the telomeres, which fails to be replicated. At birth your telomeres are 11,000 bases long, when youâre old and gray theyâre about 4,000 bases long
every time your cells divide, they lose a little bit off the end of the telomeres, which fails to be replicated. At birth your telomeres are 11,000 bases long, when youâre old and gray theyâre about 4,000 bases long
Thereâs something called the Hayflick limit, and thatâs why you and I die
When the telomeres reach a critical length, the cells just stop dividing
When the telomeres reach a critical length, the cells just stop dividing
âfuck the Hayflick limit, I do what I wantâ is the motto of cancer, and the motto of lobsters
because they produce heaps of telomerase. telomerase is a really nifty enzyme, it carries its own RNA template to build back the lost ends of the telomeres!
because they produce heaps of telomerase. telomerase is a really nifty enzyme, it carries its own RNA template to build back the lost ends of the telomeres!
Humans make telomerase too. But we make less and less as we age. Weâre coded to just let senescence and death happen, and a lot of people have a lot of theories why
If youâve got cells that constantly produce shitloads of telomerase and never stop, youâve got cancer, my friend
If youâve got cells that constantly produce shitloads of telomerase and never stop, youâve got cancer, my friend
as a teen I used to like Family Guy (dunk on me, I deserve it lmao) and whatâs funny is, in that one episode when high-Stewie asked âwhat if the only reason we die is because we accept it as an inevitabilityâ, he was kinda right
our biology encodes death as an inevitability
our biology encodes death as an inevitability
Death is still an inevitability though, whether our biology encodes a plan for it or not
entropy always comes for its due, and thatâs what even lobsters must accept
entropy always comes for its due, and thatâs what even lobsters must accept
lobsters still lose in the very end. Telomerase tricks buy time, they will never experience senescence- the decline towards death- but it still comes at some point
that point is typically molting
that point is typically molting
Lobsters never age. they keep growing and growing and growing. but their skeleton is on the outside, and it isnât exactly flexible. They need to molt and grow a new shell once they outgrow the old one
this is a very, very energetically taxing and dangerous affair
this is a very, very energetically taxing and dangerous affair
Lobsters molt the easiest in mid-life. molting casualties are highest in the very young and the very old
very young lobsters molt a LOT, because theyâre growing a lot- 44 molts in their first year. this leaves them squishy and vulnerable, and is quite energetically taxing
very young lobsters molt a LOT, because theyâre growing a lot- 44 molts in their first year. this leaves them squishy and vulnerable, and is quite energetically taxing
An ancient lobster colossus may not have as many predator concerns during a molt, compared to the youngâuns (still watch out for sea turtles tho)
but the energy costs are what kills. Moving out of an enormous shell takes an enormous effort
past a certain point they just canât
but the energy costs are what kills. Moving out of an enormous shell takes an enormous effort
past a certain point they just canât
at a certain point, the effort of moving out just cannot be mustered by their metabolism. itâs done. when a mega-lobster entirely stops molting, the game is drawing to a close
at that point theyâre trapped in their shells, which accumulate parasites and bacteria
at that point theyâre trapped in their shells, which accumulate parasites and bacteria
I have not been able to find research on whether itâs disease or simply being squeezed in that kills in the end. I would love to talk to an actual invertebrate biologist on this stuff because itâs so fascinating
but yeah. itâs quite amusing, if silly and unscientific, to think of it in a poetic sense. Itâs like lobsters have made a deal with the devil, and the devil always gets his due