Inspired by An Immense World, Ed Yong’s exploration of animal senses, read on for highlights of the lowly (but infinitely annoying) mosquito, and the brainy octopus.
 | MOSQUITOES In An Immense World, Ed Yong calls mosquitoes “the planet’s most effective hunters of humans.” Research indicates that mosquitoes taste with their antennae, and, like flies, also taste with their feet. To mosquitoes, DEET tastes bitter, so when we cover skin with mosquito repellant “the receptors on their feet force them to take off before they get a chance to bite.” Good thing, since the CDC lists multiple dangers associated with mosquito bites. |
Ed Yong goes into detail exploring a mosquito’s inner world:
“Imagine what it might be like to be a mosquito. Flying through a thick soup of tropical air, your antennae slice through plumes of odorants until they catch a whiff of carbon dioxide. Enticed, you turn into the plume, zigzagging when you lose track of it, and surging ahead whenever you pick it up. You spot a dark silhouette and fly over to investigate. You enter into a cloud of lactic acid, ammonia, and sulcatone—molecules released by human skin. Finally, the clincher: an alluring burst of heat. You land, and your feet pick up an explosion of salt, lipids, and other tastes. Your senses, working together, have once again found a human. You find a blood vessel and drink your fill.”
“Imagine what it might be like to be a mosquito. Flying through a thick soup of tropical air, your antennae slice through plumes of odorants until they catch a whiff of carbon dioxide. Enticed, you turn into the plume, zigzagging when you lose track of it, and surging ahead whenever you pick it up. You spot a dark silhouette and fly over to investigate. You enter into a cloud of lactic acid, ammonia, and sulcatone—molecules released by human skin. Finally, the clincher: an alluring burst of heat. You land, and your feet pick up an explosion of salt, lipids, and other tastes. Your senses, working together, have once again found a human. You find a blood vessel and drink your fill.”
 | OCTOPUSES Photoreceptors in the human eye are the rods and cones that convert light into images within our brains. “Octopuses, cuttlefish, and other cephalopods have photoreceptors dotted throughout their skin, which might help control their amazing color-changing abilities.” According to Two Oceans Aquarium, their color change comes from manipulating skin pigments: “Just beneath their skin, octopuses have thousands of cells called chromatophores. Each of these cells has a tiny sac filled with either a red, orange, brown, yellow or black pigment and by stretching or squeezing these sacs, they can rapidly change the brightness of each of these colors.” |
It’s the octopus brain where things get really interesting. Ed Yong again:
“An octopus’s central nervous system contains around 500 million neurons—a total that dwarfs that of all other invertebrates and that’s comparable to the number found in small mammals. But only a third of those neurons are found in the animal’s head…The remaining 320 million are in the arms. Each arm has a large and relatively complete nervous system, which seems barely to communicate with the other arms. An octopus effectively has nine brains that have their own agendas."
“An octopus’s central nervous system contains around 500 million neurons—a total that dwarfs that of all other invertebrates and that’s comparable to the number found in small mammals. But only a third of those neurons are found in the animal’s head…The remaining 320 million are in the arms. Each arm has a large and relatively complete nervous system, which seems barely to communicate with the other arms. An octopus effectively has nine brains that have their own agendas."
“Even the 300 suckers on each arm are somewhat independent. Once a sucker makes contact with something it reshapes itself to create a seal and then sticks by creating suction. Meanwhile it simultaneously touches and tastes using 10,000 mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors on its rim. Our tongues perceive flavor and mouthfeel as separate qualities, but given the wiring of the sucker, an octopus likely doesn’t.
“Depending on the flavor it feels, or the texture it tastes, the sucker might continue sucking or let go. And it can make that decision on its own, since each sucker is served by its own mini-brain. …[The arm brains] coordinate the individual suckers and allow the entire arm to act in an organized way. And they can also accomplish a lot on their own without involving the central brain ... .reach out, grab objects, and pull them back in."
“Depending on the flavor it feels, or the texture it tastes, the sucker might continue sucking or let go. And it can make that decision on its own, since each sucker is served by its own mini-brain. …[The arm brains] coordinate the individual suckers and allow the entire arm to act in an organized way. And they can also accomplish a lot on their own without involving the central brain ... .reach out, grab objects, and pull them back in."
 | “…an octopus has a body of pure possibility. Aside from its hard beak, it is soft, malleable, and free to contort. Its skin can change color and texture at a whim. Its arms can extend, contract, bend, and rotate anywhere along their lengths and have practically infinite ways of performing even simple movements. How could a brain, even a large one keep track of such boundless options? …The brain doesn’t have to. It can mostly let the arms sort themselves out, while imposing the occasional grudging nudge.” |
It’s hard to imagine consciousness based on so many different centers of processing—like a biological internet with multiple terminals operating simultaneously but all focused on unique activities. The ultimate multitasker!
Not surprisingly, there’ve been a number of science fiction stories based on these amazing creatures, including The Mountain in the Sea and a delightful micro story by Peter Chiykowski.
Explore other amazing animal senses in An Immense World, by Ed Yong, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
Not surprisingly, there’ve been a number of science fiction stories based on these amazing creatures, including The Mountain in the Sea and a delightful micro story by Peter Chiykowski.
Explore other amazing animal senses in An Immense World, by Ed Yong, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
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