heart of green
March 25, 2017 11:52 PM   Subscribe

Spinach Leaf Transformed Into Beating Human Heart Tissue "One of the defining traits of a leaf is the branching network of thin veins that delivers water and nutrients to its cells. Now, scientists have used plant veins to replicate the way blood moves through human tissue. The work involves modifying a spinach leaf in the lab to remove its plant cells, which leaves behind a frame made of cellulose."
posted by dhruva (25 comments total) 29 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is the first 30 minutes of a 50s science fiction movie.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 12:11 AM on March 26, 2017 [5 favorites]


the popeye reboot took an unexpected turn
posted by idiopath at 12:42 AM on March 26, 2017 [39 favorites]


Yay! Cruelty-free vat-grown meat!
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:34 AM on March 26, 2017 [1 favorite]


So wait, our blood is like, branches? And our heart is like what, a leaf? What does this mean our hair does?
posted by oceanjesse at 1:38 AM on March 26, 2017


*toots corncob pipe*
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:00 AM on March 26, 2017 [3 favorites]


Our hair is cilia filtering what gets through to our very brains. Careful what you put on it.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 3:06 AM on March 26, 2017 [8 favorites]


Your heart is like the trunk of a tree. Your fingers are like leaves.
posted by bleep at 3:08 AM on March 26, 2017


I'm strong to the finich, 'cause me heart's made o' spinach...
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:23 AM on March 26, 2017 [7 favorites]


Big deal. I've known that human hearts are an excellent source of iron and other nutrients for years!
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:26 AM on March 26, 2017 [5 favorites]


Here and I've been converting spinach into body parts the old fashioned way for years!
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:18 AM on March 26, 2017 [10 favorites]


Oh shit, did I stir fry your heart with garlic and sambal oelek?
My apologies,
It was so delicious
I cried.
posted by infini at 5:41 AM on March 26, 2017 [5 favorites]


When I first saw the headline and the image, I thought it was some art project where a spinach leaf was metaphorically transformed into a human hart as a means to signify something, and I clicked expecting to read an artist's statement translated by the journalist writing the piece.

What I learnt shocked me!
posted by kandinski at 5:45 AM on March 26, 2017 [2 favorites]


I say to to hell with it
posted by IndigoJones at 5:54 AM on March 26, 2017 [8 favorites]


I AM GROOT
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:25 AM on March 26, 2017 [11 favorites]


Well my doctor only uses swiss chard.
posted by Kabanos at 6:35 AM on March 26, 2017 [11 favorites]


This is really cool. Odd comparing their creation to a heart though - that kind of implies the bit that does the pumping, not the tubes the pumping puts fluid through.
posted by Artw at 7:35 AM on March 26, 2017


They successfully grew contracting cardiac cells on the leaf, so it can in fact act as a pump.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:27 AM on March 26, 2017 [6 favorites]


Then that's actually more awesome than I thought. Cool.
posted by Artw at 8:31 AM on March 26, 2017


Oh shit, did I stir fry your heart with garlic and sambal oelek?
My apologies,
It was so delicious
I cried.


this is just to say
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:35 AM on March 26, 2017 [5 favorites]


Wake up Sheefle!
posted by even at 1:56 PM on March 26, 2017


The spinach leaf must be disposed of! Conceal it under the floorboards. No one will ever know.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:43 PM on March 26, 2017 [6 favorites]


We are gonna turn into green Zhaans. I approve of this!
posted by snwod at 7:34 PM on March 26, 2017


I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The spinach in our hearts is the only sound
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:18 PM on March 26, 2017 [3 favorites]


someone smarter than me needs to make the requisite artichoke heart transplant joke
posted by um at 5:52 PM on March 27, 2017 [2 favorites]


I'd rather be the scientist who created this than the scientist who had to write the grant application.
posted by 4ster at 6:06 PM on March 27, 2017 [2 favorites]


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