logo
welcome
Quanta Magazine

Quanta Magazine

The Cellular Secret to Resisting the Pressure of the Deep Sea | Quanta Magazine

Quanta Magazine
Summary
Nutrition label

86% Informative

The pressure of 36,200 feet of seawater in the deep sea is greater than the weight of an elephant on every square inch of your body.

Scientists have studied how the bodies of some large animals, such as anglerfish and blobfish, have adapted to withstand the pressure.

Comb jellies from the deep sea are built differently than those that live near the ocean’s surface.

Biochemists and marine biologists found deep-sea membranes are different from those from surface waters.

Researchers at Cornell 's synchrotron used powerful high-energy X-rays to study deep sea cell membranes.

The team found that deep sea cells' lipids have a curvier shape than those in atmospheric pressure.

Scientists say plasmalogens make up three-quarters of all the lipids in deep sea comb jellies.

Plasmalogen lipids are a group of lipids that shape different shapes at high pressure.

They're also found to varying degrees in other organisms, including humans.

VR Score

89

Informative language

90

Neutral language

62

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

50

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

long-living

Affiliate links

no affiliate links