Intuition 🌿

Seeing in the Dark and the Green: How Eyes and Leaves Share a Lighty Secret

The world of biology reveals surprising connections, and the human eye and a seemingly ordinary leaf share a fascinating one. Both organs rely on sophisticated light-sensing mechanisms to function effectively in their environments, despite their vastly different purposes.

Within the human eye, the retina houses two crucial photoreceptor cell types: rods and cones. Rods, responsible for low-light vision, utilize rhodopsin, a specialized protein, to capture even the faintest light signals. Cones, responsible for color vision, rely on various forms of iodopsin to differentiate colors in bright light conditions. Both rhodopsin and iodopsin function by undergoing a shape change upon encountering light, triggering a biochemical cascade that ultimately translates light energy into electrical signals the brain interprets as vision.

Plants exhibit a similar strategy. Nestled within their leaves lies phytochrome, a remarkable molecule that, like its counterparts in the eye, acts as a light receptor. Phytochrome exists in several states depending on the specific wavelengths of light it absorbs. By sensing variations in light intensity and spectrum, phytochrome provides the plant with vital information about its surrounding environment. This information plays a critical role in processes like photosynthesis, where plants utilize sunlight as an energy source, and regulates growth patterns based on light availability.

In both the eye and the plant, the photosensors function together with chromophores: retinal in the eye and phytochromobilin in the plant.

This unexpected parallel between the human eye and the leaf underscores a fundamental principle in biology – the ability to detect light is a powerful evolutionary advantage. By harnessing the power of light, both humans and plants gain the ability to navigate their environments, grow, and thrive.

A sloth worth seeing! ✨️🦥✨️

I like to show myself, I feel good in my own skin and I'm happy every time I see your beautiful pictures.

😊🤎

My life is exciting and full of little adventures, even when I don't walk far from home. 🪲🍀

🪷 That's because of the way I see the world. 🌐

Inside of a black mirror, as darkness consumes.

In my lascivious portrait lies the Chakana pendant, symbolically placed, centered on my chest. The Chakana, an ancient symbol of Andean culture, connects me to cosmological concepts of heaven and earth. "Inside of a black mirror, as darkness consumes." alludes to a grim reality where manipulation and influence amplify the darkness surrounding us. As you gaze into the black mirror of modern technology, the image reveals the hidden aspects of myself and the world around me. It's a depiction of duality and cosmic order, where light and darkness merge. As a symbol of connection to the sun, the Chakana calls for contemplation of the dark and hidden aspects of life while simultaneously exploring your own inner strength and spirituality.

🌞 I have always been a fan of the sun. It puts me in a good mood and I like myself best when I'm tanned. I especially love the combination of brown skin and blonde hair.

But of course you also have to be aware of the dangers. When UV radiation hits the skin, it directly damages the DNA in the cell nucleus. This can lead to mutations and thus skin cancer. The energy in the UV radiation also causes some molecules to have an unpaired electron. These free radicals look for their missing electron in their environment and can thus cause a whole chain reaction of damage.

The most effective way to protect yourself is to avoid the sun and apply sunscreen.

You can also influence cell protection through diet and a positive attitude towards life. Damaged DNA is repaired when the telomeres (the protective ends of the chromosomes) rebuild the damaged sections. How well this works depends, among other things, on the length of the telomeres, which shortens over time. The enzyme telomerase plays an important role because it can repair and even lengthen telomeres. Telomerase can be activated through a diet containing spermidine (e.g. nuts, grains, legumes).

Antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and polyphenols (e.g. many plant pigments) help to combat free radicals. The best way to get these into the cells is to increase their bioavailability. Other plant substances such as piperine, quercetin and apigenin increase cell permeability and thus enable better development of the positive effects. It is important to note here if you are considering supplementing yourself heavily with antioxidants: too many antioxidants are also not healthy because they reduce oxidative stress, which is needed for many cellular processes.

It is also helpful to pay attention to the optimal fatty acid ratio and in particular to consume sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are so valuable for the skin.

The personal attitude to life is greatly underestimated but, according to current studies, also has a major influence on cell aging. It has been shown that our cell age is not constant, but is rejuvenated by an optimistic mood.

As I catch these warm rays ✨️🌄🥰 I feel as saturated as the play of colors in the morning sun.

"Survival of the fittest" is often misunderstood. It was originally meant to imply that the most well-adapted species prevail, not necessarily the "fittest" species. This means that the success of certain traits is not solely dependent on the efficiency of those traits. Rather, it is a complex interplay of environmental conditions, competition, pests, and much more. The success of a trait can largely depend on luck, such as favorable conditions for its spread within a stable population or its extinction due to an event. The fragility of populations is evident in the many species currently facing extinction—evolutionary marvels that suddenly disappear. Traits may take millions of years to develop or may never emerge again. When applied to humans, this is an important realization as it undermines race theories and eugenicist ideologies. The sole basis of these dehumanizing ideologies is a perceived superiority easily refuted by evolutionary insights. There is no basis for considering any physical traits as inferior. However, there is a good reason why this argument is rarely heard: a discussion about the value of human life is incompatible with insights from ethical philosophy. Human dignity is inviolable, and every individual determines their own worth. A discussion about the value of human traits or peculiarities should not even be entertained, as such a discussion is inherently undignified. Unfortunately, there are increasingly societal concepts that garner support with antiquated and dehumanizing views. It is important to employ reason and humanity to oppose such developments.

I just want to look
👀 into your eyes
one more time 😶‍🌫️

Eyes are like a silent ocean of lies and truth, but I am a brave sailor who has navigated many shallows.

What's my state of mind? 🫣
Hopefully the last selfie with this hat.
Even though I have to shave my ears again, I'm looking forward to sunshine and rainbows and moths in my fur.*

🦋🌈🦋🦥🌴🦋🌞

*Metaphorical moths.
Sloths live in symbiosis with sloth moths.
That tingles!✨️🥰

You should also appreciate a slo-mo symbiosis. 🫠🕰

🤍