Simple Cells with a Complex Defense

We might expect a “primitive” single cell to have, at most, one defense against threats. But S. roeseli has four different tactics for responding to predators, and it seems to use them as it so chooses.

When faced with an irritating stimuli, the freshwater protist “decides” what to do. It may bend away or it may spit water to push the irritant away. Sometimes it ducks by contracting into a ball, and sometimes, when all else fails, it detaches from its moorings and drifts away. There’s no set pattern. Its unpredictability may be an advantage that keeps predators guessing.

In any case, this tiny creature reminds us that so-called simple organisms aren’t simple at all. Even the simplest ones are stunning examples of the complexity of design that God fashioned into every part of his creation. That’s evidence so clear that, as Paul tells us in Romans 1:20, those who deny the Creator are “without excuse.”

This article was taken from Answers magazine, July–August, 2020, 20.