Mantis shrimps are amazing creatures, they’re like the Muhammad Ali of the animal kingdom,
if Muhammad Ali could diagnose cancer.
Hi there marine oncologists, Julian here for DNews.
We already knew that cancerous tissue reflects polarized light differently than healthy tissue,
and doctors use this knowledge to detect tumors using complex imaging systems.
Now scientists think they can improve those systems with inspiration drawn from the mantis
shrimp.
Mantis shrimp, which are technically not shrimps… is it shrimp or shrimps?
Oh both are good?
Thank you, Merriam-Webster.
Mantis shrimps are actually stomatopods…
stomatopods?
Oh let’s call the whole thing off.
Along with a wicked punch that can crack aquarium glass, these animals are gifted with incredible
eyesight.
We can just see a small range of electromagnetic waves that we call the visible spectrum because
our eyes have four different visual pigments, 3 of which are for color, and our lenses block
UV light.
Mantis Shrimps by comparison have 16 visual pigments; 12 for colors, half of which are
sensitive to UV light, and half for differentiating polarized light.
Light from the sun or a light bulb is unpolarized, meaning the light wave is actually the superposition
of many waves.
So if you could actually see the waves like they were coming right at you, they would
be vibrating in a lot of different planes.
But they can be polarized in a lot of ways, like being reflected off a mirror.
When this happens, light waves in just one plane get bounced back to our eyes.
We’re not really sensitive to it unless there are too many polarized waves and we
get glare, which we cut down by wearing polarized sunglasses that don’t allow light on that
plane in.
Mantis shrimps are way more sensitive to polarized light and can differentiate objects by it
the same way we can differentiate by color.
Because of this, Professor Justin Marshall, from the Queensland Brain Institute said they
can simply look at something and tell if it was cancerous.
“A mantis shrimp could walk up to it and hit it," Marshall said.
I don’t think the shrimp is really getting this whole fighting cancer thing.
The camera researchers are developing models the mantis shrimps eyes, translating the minute
changes in reflected polarized light into colors we can see and understand.
This could help guide surgeries and reduce the need for invasive procedures like biopsies,
while still providing accurate early detection.
And as anyone who’s fought or knows someone who’s fought cancer, early detection is
key.
Stay safe and educated about cancer.
Laci’s got you covered with this video about how much solar radiation it takes to get skin
cancer.
Are there other awesome animal abilities anthropomorphs adapted?
Let us know your favorite example in the comments, and I’ll see you next time on DNews.