2 questions :

[zotz]

. . . that I'd actually quite like answers for.

I was talking to Buca Alan at B-Movie and for some reason we got onto the subject of erythrocyte respiration. I said that I was pretty sure that red cells only do anaerobic respiration, and that presumably this means that they don't have mitochondria. Amazingly, given the number of years since I studied this kind of thing, it seems to be true. I love this page. "The shunt provides the remainder", with no explanation of what the shunt is. Fantastic. Alan suggested that the metabolic crippling of red cells might be to avoid them becoming tumorous, as they have such regular exposure to molecular oxygen, with all its hazards. It's possible.

So . . . what's going on here, then? Why aren't there any, and what's the mechanism involved?

The second one is about feathers. How does a structure like a feather grow out of a little follicle?

Hmm. I may have to do some digging around on these ones.

Comments

[ex-wendles389.livejournal.com]

How does a structure like a feather grow out of a little follicle?

this question has bemused me for some years as well. the canary still doesn't have an answer.

[zotz]

Send him to night classes, and get him to tell you once he's found out.

It'll be good for him to get out of the house.

[ex-wendles389.livejournal.com]

LOL! he already has free rein of the house most of the time. FWIW his buffy problem is due to ingrowing feathers, apparently a bit like ingrowing toenails.