Random FactsCuriousOneappear, chemical, chernobyl, convert, energy, found, fungi, gamma, near, radiation, Species, threeComment

Three fungi species were found near Chernobyl that appear to convert gamma radiation into chemical energy.

Random FactsCuriousOneappear, chemical, chernobyl, convert, energy, found, fungi, gamma, near, radiation, Species, threeComment
Three fungi species were found near Chernobyl that appear to convert gamma radiation into chemical energy.
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Radiotrophic fungi are fungi which appear to use the pigment melanin to convert gamma radiation[1] into chemical energy for growth.[2] This proposed mechanism may be similar to anabolic pathways for the synthesis of reduced organic carbon (e.g., carbohydrates) in phototrophic organisms, which capture photons from visible light with pigments such as chlorophyll whose energy is then used in photolysis of water to generate usable chemical energy (as ATP) in photophosphorylation or photosynthesis. However, whether melanin-containing fungi employ a similar multi-step pathway as photosynthesis, or some chemosynthesis pathways, is unknown.@Curionic

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Random FactsCuriousOnebecause, bombs, corn, discovered, exposed, Film, fogging, husks, kodak, material, niclear, packing, radiation, States, testing, united, Used, wereComment

Kodak discovered the US was testing atomic bombs because the corn husks used for packing material were fogging film because they had been exposed to radiation.

Random FactsCuriousOnebecause, bombs, corn, discovered, exposed, Film, fogging, husks, kodak, material, niclear, packing, radiation, States, testing, united, Used, wereComment
Kodak discovered the US was testing atomic bombs because the corn husks used for packing material were fogging film because they had been exposed to radiation.