Worms Living in the Chernobyl Nuclear Zone Have Superpowers

KIEV – Worms that live near disaster zones nuklir Chernobyl in Ukraine seems to have developed ‘superpowers’. This shows that the 1986 Chernobyl disaster still has a significant impact today.

Scientists from New York University conducted research on nematodes, small worms with a simple genetic structure, that lived in Chernobyl.

They found that these worms had developed a much higher radiation resistance than worms living elsewhere.

Radiation levels at Chernobyl varied from low levels typically found in large cities to high levels equivalent to outer space.

These worms were collected from various locations with varying levels of radiation.

Scientists discovered that worms living in areas with high levels of radiation have a gene mutation that allows them to repair DNA damage caused by radiation.

These worms also have a slower metabolism and the ability to live longer than worms that live in areas with low radiation levels.

“Chernobyl was an unimaginable tragedy, and we still don’t fully understand its impact on local populations. Do sudden environmental changes cause species, or even individuals within a species, to become more resistant to ionizing radiation?” said Dr. Sophia Tintor, main author of this study as reported by Unilad, Friday (8/3/2024)

This research shows that organisms can adapt to extreme environments such as Chernobyl.

This is important for understanding how nuclear disasters can affect ecosystems and how organisms can survive in dangerous conditions.

These findings could help scientists to develop new methods to protect humans and animals from the dangers of radiation.

(wbs)