{"id":130768,"date":"2024-11-27T19:48:57","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T12:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=130768"},"modified":"2024-11-27T19:48:57","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T12:48:57","slug":"scientists-unravel-how-squirting-cucumbers-spew-their-seeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=130768","title":{"rendered":"Scientists unravel how squirting cucumbers spew their seeds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-reorderable=\"content\">\n<p data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/editor-note\/instances\/cm3yuq9mz00073b6mk8fjzer6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"editor-note\" class=\"editor-note vossi-editor-note inline-placeholder \" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n    <em>Sign up for CNN\u2019s Wonder Theory science newsletter.\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters\/wonder-theory?source=nl-acq_article\"><em>Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more<\/em><\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n    <cite class=\"source__cite\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__location\" data-editable=\"location\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__text\" data-editable=\"source\">CNN<\/span><br \/>\n        \u00a0\u2014\u00a0<br \/>\n    <\/cite>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yuntae000m26p85img7a3i@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            An odd little gourd called the squirting cucumber has an explosive reproductive strategy that has intrigued naturalists since the days of the Roman Empire. Squirting cucumbers blast their seeds over distances hundreds of times their length, and now scientists know how the plants do it.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yuqp7j000a3b6mcj0bfzpt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            A squirting cucumber in action is a remarkable sight, but if you blink, you might miss it \u2014 the eruption lasts about 0.03 second (30 milliseconds). When ripe, the hairy green fruit measures about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) long. As it drops from a stem, it launches a fountain of seeds and sticky liquid at a velocity of around 45 miles per hour (20 meters per second), with seeds reaching distances of about 33 feet (10 meters).\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv1rzl00273b6mo63d6db2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Squirting cucumbers, also known by the scientific name Ecballium elaterium, are found across the Mediterranean and Europe, and in parts of northern Africa, Australia, Asia and North America. They are members of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) and relatives of zucchini, squash and pumpkins, but their seed jets are unique in the group and rare among plants.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv1rzl00283b6muvrn1tmd@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Ancient Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (AD 23 to 79) was the first to describe squirting cucumbers, warning that \u201cthe seed spurts out, even endangering the eyes.\u201d Studies in the 19th century provided clues about the cucumbers\u2019 high-pressure internal launch system, but until now, the details of their seed spurts were poorly understood.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm3yvxqaj00403b6m62s3ghzw@published\" class=\"image image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"Screen-Shot-2024-11-26-at-10.11.26-AM.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"0.7415\" data-original-height=\"1483\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/screen-shot-2024-11-26-at-10-11-26-am.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image__picture\"><source height=\"1483\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/screen-shot-2024-11-26-at-10-11-26-am.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1483\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(min-width: 960px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/screen-shot-2024-11-26-at-10-11-26-am.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1483\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/screen-shot-2024-11-26-at-10-11-26-am.jpg?q=w_1160,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1483\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/screen-shot-2024-11-26-at-10-11-26-am.jpg?q=w_680,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/screen-shot-2024-11-26-at-10-11-26-am.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"The seeds of a squirting cucumber can reach distances of about 33 feet away from the mother plant.\" class=\"image__dam-img image__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"1483\" width=\"2000\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv1rzl00293b6mo5dd9rgm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Recently, researchers blew this ballistic mystery wide open. They used high-speed video, time-lapse photography, CT scans and digital 3D reconstructions to analyze squirting cucumbers before, during and after a squirt      and created mathematical models to describe the fruits\u2019 geyser-like eruptions.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv1rzl002a3b6m6ukia03e@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Their findings, published Monday in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2410420121\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/a>, explain that the squirting mechanism is more complex than a simple buildup of liquid and release of internal pressure. Along with cucumber engorgement, other physical changes in the plant before and during the explosion shaped the angle, height and distance of a successful seed spew, according to the study.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv1rzl002b3b6m51zh0m3m@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cIt is a new idea that optimal seed dispersal is not only about building the greatest pressure in the fruit,\u201d said Dr. Angela Hay, a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany. Hay has previously written about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/current-biology\/abstract\/S0960-9822(24)00953-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">explosive seed dispersal<\/a> but was not involved in the new research.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv1rzl002c3b6mskg0n358@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Rather, Hay told CNN in an email, the study suggests that the most effective seed launch relies on a trade-off between pressure from fluid accumulation and other distinct changes that prepare the fruit for that eruptive moment.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv1zfo002f3b6m0g55e3uv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Study coauthor Dr. Derek Moulton, a professor of applied mathematics at the UK\u2019s University of Oxford, was introduced to the squirting cucumber in the summer of 2022 by senior study author Dr. Chris Thorogood, a deputy director and head of science at the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv3a1d002m3b6moyxvxxoq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cWe\u2019ve worked on some other projects together, and have a really good collaborative relationship,\u201d Moulton told CNN in an email. \u201cHe shows me a plant that does something interesting, and then I try to use mathematics to understand some aspect.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv3a1d002n3b6mhhn3t0g4@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Thorogood brought Moulton and other researchers to see squirting cucumbers in the Oxford garden, assuring them that the unassuming gourds were more bizarre than they looked. When they were ripe, all it took was a touch to trigger their high-powered launch.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv3a1d002o3b6mn48jiyiw@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cHe bent down and gave one a squeeze, and you could hear a tiny little squirt, but we couldn\u2019t see anything happen, it was too fast,\u201d Moulton said. \u201cSo we took some fruits back to the lab, where we filmed the ejection with high speed cameras. It was amazing. We were hooked, and we wanted to understand it.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv3a1d002p3b6mlos7jk7j@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            High-speed videos of the cucumbers were just the beginning. The researchers used CT scans to study the internal arrangement of the seeds, tested the stiffness of plant parts and captured time-lapse videos in the days leading up to a seed launch to track physical changes in the stems and fruits. With mathematical models based on their data, the scientists created simulations of seeds taking flight and predicted where they would land.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv3a1d002q3b6mlulxcmbz@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cOur mathematical framework came from thinking about the physics of the process, both before and during the seed ejection, and included mathematical descriptions of both the fruit and the stem and how they interact,\u201d Moulton said.\n    <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm3yv42ai002v3b6mp6v7htwp@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"lift-and-twist\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n        Lift and twist<br \/>\n<\/h3>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv3f9i002t3b6m3nvkyasa@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Days before a seed launch, a lot was going on inside the cucumbers, the researchers observed. As the fruits swelled with fluid, some of that fluid also flowed into the stem, thickening and stiffening it so that the dangling fruit lifted from a near-vertical hanging position to an angle of about 45 degrees. Squirting from this angle, rather than straight up, is a better strategy for the plant, enabling it to spit the seeds farther, according to the study.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv4lc300303b6mqasma72i@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The scientists also saw that the stem gave the fruit a spin as it detached, by shrinking away from the fruit. Their models showed that this spin would disperse the seeds in a wider arc.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv4lc300313b6m1jbq9ff3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cIt\u2019s not enough to just fire your seeds far \u2014 you also want them well spread out if you want to increase the likelihood that some of them survive to make new plants,\u201d Moulton said. \u201cThere is this whole orchestration of activity that contributes to where the seeds go. And since all of that detail lived in our mathematical model, we were able to show how fine tuned Ecballium is for successful dispersal.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm3yw1ry900433b6m5jki9bg3@published\" class=\"image portrait image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"Ecballium-elaterium.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"1.3585\" data-original-height=\"2717\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ecballium-elaterium.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image__picture\"><source height=\"2717\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ecballium-elaterium.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"2717\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(min-width: 960px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ecballium-elaterium.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"2717\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ecballium-elaterium.jpg?q=w_1160,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"2717\" width=\"2000\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ecballium-elaterium.jpg?q=w_680,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ecballium-elaterium.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"A member of the gourd family, the hairy green fruit measures about 1.6 inches long when it's ripe.\" class=\"image__dam-img image__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"2717\" width=\"2000\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv4lc300323b6mkagck9b6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Scientists often look to model organisms \u2014 certain species that are well-studied \u2014 to answer biological questions. But there\u2019s also much to be learned by studying outliers that receive less attention, such as the squirting cucumber,      Hay said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv4lc300333b6mobxz9hi2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cMany interesting traits are not found in model organisms,\u201d she said. \u201cThis paper shows how we can learn from diversity.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv4lc300343b6m21bokvme@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The new study also illustrates that even though plants typically don\u2019t command center stage for odd behavior, they can still demonstrate \u201csome pretty amazing feats,\u201d Moulton said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yv4lc300353b6mw7sbzrfs@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cHow many people have ever associated cucumbers with rapid motion?\u201d he asked. \u201cI was quite happy just to be able to uncover something about the mechanism of this fascinating little cucumber.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph paragraph_contributors inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph_contributors\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3yunzjh00003b6m6fwljhzi@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            <em>Mindy Weisberger is a science writer and media producer whose work has appeared in Live Science, Scientific American and How It Works magazine.<\/em>\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/11\/26\/science\/squirting-cucumber-seeds\/index.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sign up for CNN\u2019s Wonder Theory science newsletter.\u00a0Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. CNN \u00a0\u2014\u00a0 An odd little gourd called the squirting cucumber has &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=130768\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=130768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130768\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=130768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=130768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=130768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}