The Stomach of the Earth

[DonSchaeffer]

This is the mature stage of biofilm development. A wide range of organisms move through the rich film of partly digested vegetation. This is what functions as the stomach of the microscopic community. It's an external stomach--which replaces the internal stomach of a more articulated organism.

https://youtu.be/cOfOcXMLc-A

[charlie g]

Charming, don, your tight choice of two words ( Earth, and Stomach) for title of this image capture posted here, thank you, don.

Stomachs are comprised of multiple tissues( many cells comprise a tissue level of organization), and stomachs are whole organism integrated to function...many cells of many tissues 'divided the labor' to comprise a working 'stomach'.

You image capture of a richly developed microcosm community , prokaryotes partnering with other prokaryotes, partnering with eukaryotes, an assemblage harkening world communities within world communities..all

evolved, all playing out on our known earth.

For the majority of life on earth, assemblages were prokaryotic...these myriad of microbes worked out 'tissue level behaviors', 'quorum behaviors ' ...individuals within colonies by quorum-sensing chemical and physical signals ,

many microbes coordinate and carryout colony wide functions. Quorum behaviors such as: sporulation, bioluminescence, virulence, conjugation, and yes, yes, as you share with us here...biofilm formation.

Looking into your microscopy encounters here, don, even as activity abounds...levels within levels, worlds within worlds, earth and stomach are reframed in different yet related ways! thanks, charlie g

[DonSchaeffer]

I'm so glad to read your thinking about this. I am not a trained biologist (my field is social psychology). I see cells in terms of a social specialization model.

[charlie g]

Hi, again, don, thanks for your forum postings.

Stomachs of life on our earth ( protists, meiofauna, megafauna , and the kingdoms of plants also claim this as their earth) are hinting to us that our earth itself will function for our betterment, for tolerance of peoples, only so far

as peoples do not crash earths many cycles ( huge earth impacts from space have already crashed earth cycles., long before we peoples existed on our earth).

Earth is indifferent to people, yet incredibly providing for all...so long as earth 'has the stomach' to tolerate peoples ever growing non-sustainable activities.

When earth ' no longer has the stomach for peoples activities'...we will experience harsh cycle crashes of 'our making'.

Earth indeed may 'vomit and retch ' , when earth no longer can stomach peoples activities.

This is profoundly a sense for me, of " the Stomach of the Earth". thanks for your microscopy, don. charlie guevara/ fingerlakes/US

[DonSchaeffer]

Thanks Charlie. I agree. The earth has its own fragility although it does adapt. As you point out, it just may adapt in ways that don't favor us earth parasites.