Animals are gifts of Nature. They are
closely associated with our daily life. Animals contribute a lot to our
lives. They provide us food, clothing,
medicine and other economic needs. One of the most important functions of
animals is to help disperse seeds and pollinate plants. Primates, for example,
help to disperse seeds through the fruits they eat.
Bats help spread seeds and pollinate a
variety of plants. Bees are the most important animals to plant ecosystems.
Many crops rely almost entirely on bees to spread and pollinate, including
almonds, avocados, apricots and peaches. Without bees, the planet would face
the prospect of mass starvation.
Animals help maintain the Earth's natural
environment by predating upon plants and other animals. They exhale carbon dioxide, which green
plants require to live. Animals help to fertilize plants via their droppings,
which provide nutrition for plants. Once they die, animals also serve as food
for microorganisms and supplement minerals for plants.
The animal under discussion is Duck billed
Platypus. It is a semiaquatic egg laying mammal. They are a species of
primitive mammals called monotremes. Duck-billed Platypuses live in burrows and spend much of their
time in freshwater ponds and streams. These
animals make their homes in the freshwater areas that flow throughout the
island of Tasmania and the eastern and south-eastern coast of Australia.
Platypuses are carnivores (meat-eaters) and
they use their bills to strain their prey. They feed on crayfish, worms,
insects, snails and shrimp from muddy water. As they swim, they try to detect
food along the muddy bottom of the river, stream, pond or lake using their
sensitive bills. They store their food in their cheek pouches while hunting in
water and swim to the surface.
Platypuses
are venomous mammals. The body of the animal is broad and has a flat tail. The
entire body is covered with dense brown colour fur. The function of the brown
coloured fur is to keep the body warm and will not wet the body when the animal
is swimming under water. The tail is used for storage of fat reserves. Their legs will spread outside the body and
they crawl like lizards.
The
animal has a webbed feet and has a large rubbery snout. The webbing are more significant on the
front feet and are folded back when the animal is walking on land. The webbings
on the front feet extend beyond the sides of the five toes and the end of the
claws forming fan shaped paddles. When in water the animal propels itself with
front feet rather than the hind feet.
The
rubbery snout makes them appear like ducks. The snout is the sense organ with
the mouth on the underside. Their nostrils are located on the dorsal surface of
the snout. The eyes
and ears are located in a groove set just back from it. This groove is closed
when swimming.
Their body weight varies from 700 grams to 2.4 kilograms. Males are larger than the
females. Average
length of males is 50 cms. Average length of females is 43 cms.
Their average
body temperature is 32 degree Celsius
Platypuses have
the ability to make and receive electrical impulses. They communicate through
electro reception. The electro receptors of the Platypus are located in
rostro-caudal rows in the skin of the bill. The Platypus can determine the
direction of an electric source, by comparing differences in signal strength
across the sheet of electro receptors. When
they are feeding by digging in the bottom of streams with its bill, the
electro receptors could be used to distinguish live and dead objects. When
disturbed, its prey would generate tiny electrical current which the sensitive
electro receptors of the Platypus can detect.
The male platypuses have a hollow, horny
spur on the inner side of each of the hind feet. The spur is connected to a
gland at its base containing venomous secretion with which the animal may
defend itself. The venom is produced
in the crural glands of the male, which are kidney-shaped alveolar glands
connected by a thin-walled duct to a calcaneal spur on each hind limb.
The males produce the venom and
production rises during the breeding season. It is thought that it is used as
an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this period.
The
constituent of the venom is proteins, unique to platypus. This venom acts as a defensive
weapon against predators. This venom is capable of killing smaller animals but
does not affect human beings. The effect of the venom is non-life threatening
but nevertheless powerful enough to seriously impair the victim.
Treatment for diabetes is a great challenge to the medical fraternity. Till today no cure or no control of the disease is found. A few Australian Scientists have discovered that the venom of male platypus can be used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Their findings are as follows:
1. Hormone produced in the gut of the platypus to
regulate the blood glucose is also present in its venom.
2. The hormone glucagon like peptide GLP-1 is
normally secreted in the gut of both humans and animals.
3. GLP-1 stimulate the release of insulin to lower
the blood glucose.
4. In people with type 2 diabetes a short stimulus
triggered by GLP-1 is not sufficient to maintain the blood sugar level.
5. Medication is required to release insulin to
balance sugar level in the blood.
6. The Australian scientists found out that in the
male platypus, GLP-1 regulates the blood glucose level.
1. The venom of the male platypus triggers the
formation of stable GLP-1 in the system during the mating season.
2. This stable GLP-1 molecule is the most needed in
the treatment of type 2 diabetes which can be either extracted from the
platypus gut or can be synthesized artificially.
3. Further research is required to convert these
findings into treatment for the type 2 diabetes.
Our Mother Earth is rich with animal and plant
resources. We have to study all the plants and animals around us to find
solution for our various problems. So let us start learning from Mother Nature
as Mother Nature is the best teacher.
Courtesy:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161129114432.htm
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