So Big! Trivia Quiz

Answer: It represents a "missing link" in the evolution of bacteria from less complicated organisms.

The mimivirus is exceptionally large, so evolutionary biologists believe that the virus, discovered only in 1992 by accident, could hold the as-yet uncertain key to the evolution of bacteria. Viruses are considered non-living by many scientists because they do not have cellular characteristics and cannot reproduce without a host; on the other hand, they do have genes and are affected by natural selection. Because viruses are generally much smaller than bacteria, the mimivirus is heralded as an important exception by some scientists and may represent a transitional species in the evolution of prokaryotic organisms.

Answer: Bacteria

When Thiomargarita namibiensis was discovered, it was the largest-known bacteria, more than four times as large as some protists like Paramecium. "Thiomargarita" means "sulfur pearl" in English, because the organism stores small granules of sulfur inside its body, which reflect light to make the organism look like small pearls.

The bacteria is also interesting because it can use inorganic nitrates as energy sources for metabolic processes- such an organism is called a lithotroph.

Answer: Kelp

Giant kelp are a variety of brown algae that belong in the order Laminariales. They are protists, members of a diverse group of organisms not readily classified as animals, plants, fungi, or bacteria. Kelp forests are some of the most fertile ecosystems on the planet, supporting a wide diversity of life, primarily along the eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean.

They are also used in ecological case studies on the role of "keystone species," or organisms that have a critical role in maintaining the balance of an environment.

The interactions between sea otters, starfish, and sea urchins keeps kelp forests alive and healthy. Kelp is also used commercially, to produce glass, soap, thickening agents, and fertilizer. Many cultures, particularly in eastern Asia, consume a type of edible kelp, called kombu, directly. Scientists also study the possibility of using kelp as a possible renewable energy resource because it produces usable sugars through photosynthesis.

Answer: Baobab

The baobab tree is one of the most massive species of plants on the planets, often reaching circumferences between 25 and 50 feet (7.5 to 15 metres). The world's largest baobab, the Glencoe in South Africa, split apart in November 2009. The tree's girth allows it to maximize the amount of vascular tissue to fit inside the trunk, thus allowing it to move as much water as possible up, from roots to chutes.

The fruit and leaves of the baobab tree are directly consumed and also used to produce cream of tartar.

Answer: It smells like rotten flesh.

No titan arum would be called the Christ flower: the plant is as famous for its enormous petals as for its absolutely disgusting smell, used to attract pollinators. The grouping of flowers on a plant is called an inflorescence, so the world's largest flower is often disputed to whether or not the title must be held by the largest inflorescence or not.

The Rafflesia arnoldii flower is the largest individual flower, is found in Indonesian forests, and, ironically enough, also produces the odor of decaying flesh (it's a completely different organism from the titan arum, however).

The titan arum is the flower with the largest unbranched inflorescence. The Talipot palm tree, native to southern India, has the largest branched inflorescence- flowers that grow approximately 15-25 feet (6-8 meters) long on a branch at the top of the tree.

Answer: Poseidon

The species of Posidonia oceanica was discovered south of the Balearic Islands, spanning 4.3 miles across (8 kilometers). It was named for the Greek god of the seas and was first described by Linnaeus in his original classification system. Also known as Neptune grass, the species normally doesn't grow so large, but samples taken from the plant show identical DNA sequences.

The plant itself might be the largest in breadth on the planet. Underwater, it forms "meadows" of grass that span the ocean floor.

Answer: General Sherman

The General Sherman tree is completely massive, even for a redwood tree. With a volume of almost 1500 meters cubed and a diameter of 36 feet (11 meters), it towers over the rest of the national park. In early 2006, the largest tree branch on the General Sherman fell off, leaving a visible crater in the walkway around the trunk (thankfully, no one was hurt).

The General Sherman is not the famous drive-through tree, which is located further north in California from Sequoia National Park.

Answer: Aspen

A single male Quaking Aspen tree (hence, "The Trembling Giant") is often considered the heaviest organism on the planet, weighing up to 6000 tons and located in Utah. The trees form a so-called "clonal colony," in which organisms reproduce asexually to form genetically identical offspring. Pando covers more than 100 acres and its longevity is debated between scientists as anywhere from 80,000 to one million years. in 2006, the American Postal Service created an honorary stamp for Pando, calling it a "Wonder of America."

Answer: It is an edible parasitic fungal colony

Armillaria ostoyae is a Honey mushroom also known as Shoestring Rot. It is very dangerous to plants in the western United States, especially fir and hemlock trees. However, the Shoestring Rot is probably most famous for the colony of fungus that weighs 605 tons located in a national park in eastern Oregon.

Interestingly, the mushroom of Armillaria is edible (though probably no truffle). The fungus' mycelium (underground network similar to a plant's roots) makes up a large portion of the mass, with the mushrooms themselves being only reproductive structures called fruiting bodies. And for my last piece of fungal trivia: humans are actually more closely related to fungi than they are to plants.

Answer: Gaia Hypothesis

The Gaia Hypothesis, simply put, states that the Earth itself creates a feedback mechanism that creates optimal conditions for life on the planet. In other words, the Earth is like an organism. Lovelock created the idea when he noted that atmospheric gas levels, ocean salinity, and global temperatures tended to remain fairly constant even when external conditions (like solar intensity) changed. William Golding, Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature and famous for his novel "Lord of the Flies," created the name "Gaia" for his friend in honor of the primitive Greek goddess of the Earth.

The idea was met with much skepticism from other biologists, including Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins.