Friday Cephalopod: Squink

If you've ever wondered what squid ink is made of, here's your answer:

Generally, cephalopod ink includes melanin, enzymes related to melanin production, catecholamines, peptidoglycans, free amino acids and metals.

But mostly melanin. And mucus.

More like this

I have a brother with red hair. I also have a son with red hair. Once upon a time, my beard and mustache contained many red hairs among the dominant browns. If you've ever wondered how these gingers appear all over the place, Petra Haak-Bloem offers a good explanation (although it needs some…
Imagine that you hand is made of jelly and you have to carve a roast using a knife that has no handle. The bare metal blade would rip through your hypothetical hand as easily as it would through the meat. It's clearly no easy task and yet, squid have to cope with a very similar challenge every…
In the White Sands National Park of New Mexico, there are three species of small lizard that all share white complexions. In the dark soil of the surrounding landscapes, all three lizards wear coloured coats with an array of hues, stripes and spots. Colours would make them stand out like a beacon…
I'm one of those dreadful animal-centric zoologically inclined biologists. Plants? What are those? Fungi? They're related to metazoans somehow. Lichens? Not even on the radar. The first step in fixing a problem, though, is recognizing that you have one. So I confess to you, O Readers, that my name…

ewwwwww

By Marge Cullen (not verified) on 18 Aug 2017 #permalink

A CRISPR session away from a kid with black snot, sounds like an excellent reason to be cautious about DNA editing.