The Dinoflaggelate Family E-Book

Claudia Lassen

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

'A fantastic introduction to the diversity of life, in the form of a dinoflagellate. The book contains a surprising number of important technical terms, which it introduces with wonderful ease. I would recommend this book to all children (and adults) who are curious about organisms that are very different from us, both in trophic mode (how they absorb energy) and in size.' - Kirstine Drumm PhD in Algae with kleptochloroplasts. (Postdoc: Algal community composition in the sea in relation to climate change) University of Copenhagen.

Leseprobe

Claes Lindhardt, Claudia Lassen

The Dinoflaggelate Family

BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

Chapter 1

Anton is turning 8 years old[Dinoflagellates actually only live for a couple of days, and for Anton, these days feel like a lifetime.] and in the second grade. This is the age where every healthy dinoflagellate learns how to photosynthesize so that they are no longer dependent on their parents to feed them.

Anton’s big sister, Caroline, has been taught how to photosynthesize. From time to time, she would be the one making his lunch. Today, however, it’s Anton’s mom, Margaret, who’s making dinner.

“Food’s ready!” she yells. They sit down around the dinner table, Caroline placing a piece of lobster in front of her. “Do you really need to eat that, Caroline?” Margaret asks like she always does when Caroline refuses to eat the sugar she photosynthesizes herself.

"First of all, my name is Ramone now!" sighs Anton's older sister Caroline resignedly as she takes a decent bite of the lobster, "Also, I’m allowed to eat other things than the sugar I make myself.“

“But Ra-Mo-Nee,” Margaret sighs. “You know that our family are phototrophs – we create our own sugar through photosynthesis, we don’t eat anything else.”

Anton doesn't care about what his sister does or doesn’t eat. He can't hold back his excitement and interrupts his mother “Remember that you promised to teach me how to photosynthesize tomorrow for my birthday!“ Caroline answers: "Anton, I don't have time for that nonsense. And it's actually much cooler to be a mixotroph anyway.”

“What does it mean to be a mixotroph?” Anton asks with wonder. Caroline rolls her eyes, “It means that you can eat things that aren’t your own sugar – like this lobster.”

Anton has never heard of mixotrophic dinoflagellates before. He always just wanted to be old enough to photosynthesize.