The Cap-Throwing Fungus

Genesis 1:11
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”

While we may speak of “simple” forms of life, the more we learn about living things, the more clearly we can see that no form of life is “simple.” 

Evolution has long theorized that life began in a simple form that over millions of years gradually became more complex. Evolutionary scientists say that the “simple” forms of life are still in existence today, and to prove their claim, they point to the “lowly” fungus.  Okay, let us see how “simple” the “lowly” fungus really is.

The “cap-throwing” fungus has a built-in clock and bends through the day in response to the sun’s movement. The built-in clock of the “cap-throwing” fungus waits until it is turned to the best possible angle before “blowing its top” to distribute its spores or seeds over the widest possible area. The light-sensing system in the fungus releases the spores at about nine in the morning – aiming the spores at an area that is most likely to be open so that they can be spread even further by animals. Whether the spores land where animals pass or on a leaf, they are coated with a glue to aid in further dispersion.

The “lowly” fungus reminds us that there just aren’t any “simple” forms of life. This fungus has been given a sophisticated way to carry out God’s command to reproduce after its kind.

Prayer:
Dear Father, there are none of us who are so simple or unimportant that You have not enabled us to do Your will. Help me to always remember that the hindrance of sin is of my making, and to come to my Savior, Jesus Christ, for cleansing. In His name, Amen.

Notes:
A slow-motion video showing the fungus blowing its top can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5teg5DOIGC8. Photo: The spore discharge of Pilobolus crystallinus has been called the fastest living thing on the planet. Courtesy of F.H. Wigg.

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