Belangkas dan Teripang
Manusia memiliki darah merah kerana itu adalah warna hemoglobin berasaskan unsur besi. Namun begitu, merah bukanlah satu-satunya warna darah. Labah-labah, belangkas dan artropod tertentu memiliki darah biru kerana adanya hemocynin berasaskan unsur tembaga di dalam darah haiwan-haiwan itu.
Teripang atau gamat pula memiliki darah berwarna kuning. Ini disebabkan oleh kepekatan tinggi vanabin, pigmen berasaskan vanadium yang berwarna kuning. Berbeza dengan hemoglobin dan hemocyanin, vanabin tidak seperti terlibat dalam pengangkutan oksigen. Selain vanabin, teripang mempunyai cukup hemocyanin dalam darah mereka untuk menampung keperluan oksigen mereka.
Sehingga kini, peranan vanabin tetap sedikit misteri. Mungkin ia adalah strategi mekanisme pertahanan haiwan itu untuk menjadikannya tidak menarik atau beracun kepada parasit dan pemangsa. Namun begitu, teripang digunakan dalam masakan dan juga dihargai kerana dipercayai memberi pelbagai manfaat kesihatan.
Sup gamat dan Ubat-ubatan berasakan gamat
Humans have red blood because it is the color of iron-based hemoglobin. However, red is not the only red color of blood. Spider, horseshoe crab and certain arthropods have blue blood because of hemocynin copper-based elements in the blood of animals.
Sea cucumbers has a yellow-coloured blood. This is caused by high concentrations of vanabin, a yellow coloured vanadium-based compound. In contrast to hemoglobin and hemocyanin, vanabin is not as involved in the transport of oxygen. Besides vanabin, sea cucumbers have enough hemocyanin in their blood to meet the their oxygen needs.
To date, the role of vanabin remains unknown. The presence is believed to be the defense mechanism of the animal by making it unattractive or toxic to parasites and predators. However, in human world, sea cucumbers are not only used in cooking, they are also believed to provide various health benefits.
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