Iziponji—Azinabugocigoci Kodwa Zibangel’ umdla

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EOSTRELIYA

NGABA ungakuvuyela ukuhlamba ngamathambo esilwanyana? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ayiginyeki ncam loo nto. Kodwa isiponji sokuhlamba yimicu yamathambo esilwanyana.

INational Geographic News, ithi: “Isiponji sesona silwanyana sidala nesona sincinane kwizilwanyana ezikhoyo.” Oku kuye kwabangela abantu abaninzi bacinga ukuba abantu nezinye izilwanyana bavela kwisiponji. Enye inkqubo kamabonwakude yakhahlela kwisiponji isithi “nguEva wezilwanyana”—“ukhokho wethu sonke.”

Yinto efundwe ziinzululwazi ngesiponji? Ngaba zizidalwa nje ezingabalulekanga okanye ngaba zibonisa ukuba zadalwa ngokumangalisayo?

Akukho Ntliziyo, Akukho Buchopho, Akukho Ngxaki

Isiponji sinokubonakala ngathi sisityalo, kodwa uAristotle noPliny Omkhulu, basichaza isiponji ngokuthi sisilwanyana, kwaye babechanile. Iingcali ziqikelela ukuba ubuncinane kukho iindidi zesiponji ezingama-15 000, zimile ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo yaye ziyimibalabala. Iziponji zinokuba ncinane njengomnwe, zimile okomphanda, zendlaleke njengekhaphethi, zibe ngathi ziifeni ezicikizekileyo, zisenokude zibe ngathi ziingqayi zekristale—ukubala nje ezimbalwa. Ezinye zincinane kunokhozo lwerayisi, ngoxa ezinye zinde ngaphezu komntu. Ezinye izazinzulu zicingela ukuba ezinye iziponji zinokuba neminyaka engamakhulu zikho.

IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Iziponji zahlukile kwezinye izilwanyana ngendlela ezimile ngayo, indlela eziphila nezikhula ngayo.” Njani? Ngokungafaniyo nezinye izilwanyana, iziponji azinawo amalungu angaphakathi omzimba. Ziphila njani ke xa zingenayo intliziyo, ubuchopho, okanye imithambo-luvo? Isiponji sineeseli ezincinane ezenza imisebenzi emininzi ezigcina isiponji siphila. Ezinye iiseli ezikhethekileyo zilondoloza ukutya, zihambise izondlo emzimbeni okanye zikhuphe ilindle. Ezinye iiseli ziyila amathambo okanye ulusu. Ezinye iiseli zinokutshintsha zibe lolunye uhlobo lweeseli ukuba oko kuyimfuneko.

Iziponji zikhetheke ngeendlela ezininzi. Ukuba ukucudisa isiponji kwisefu, iiseli ziyadibana zize zakhe eso silwanyana kwakhona. Ukuba usila iziponji ezibini, ngokuthe ngcembe ziyahlukana zize ziphinde zibe yinto ebeziyiyo kuqala. INational Geographic News ithi: “Asikho esinye isilwanyana esinjalo esikwaziyo ukuzivusa ngale ndlela.”

Indlela yeziponji yokuzala nayo ingakushiy’ ubamb’ ongezantsi. Ezinye iziponji zixhobisa zize zithumele “iziphekepheke” ukuya kuthimba ezinye iindawo. Emva kokuhamba umgama othile ezi seli zifika kummandla eziya kuwo zize ziqalise kuvelisa isiponji esitsha. Ezinye iziponji zivelisa inzala, yaye imazi iyakwazi ukuziguqula ibe yinkunzi xa kufuneka. Ezinye iziponji zibeka amaqanda. Umbhali uPaul Morris uthi: “Okukhona siqwalasela ngenyameko esona siponji sincinane, kokukhona sibona indlela esintsonkothe ngayo.”

Zicoca Ulwandle

Isazi ngezilo uAllen Collins uthi iziponji “zinendlela yazo yokutya eyahluke mpela kwezinye izilwanyana.” Isiponji sinemingxunyana kulusu olungaphandle engena ize iphinyele kuwo wonke umzimba waso. Kule mingxunyana kukho izigidi zeeseli ezikrozileyo, okanye iichoanocytes. Iseli nganye inomcwe omile okwesabhokwe esibetha ngasemva nangaphambili. Umbhali uBen Harder uthi: “Ngokungathi ngumbhexi wesikhephe samakhoboka samaRoma, [ezi seli] zityhala amanzi ngokuthe ngcembe aze adlule kwezinye iiseli zesiponji, yaye ezi seli zilungele ukunqakula zize zetyise konke ukutya okusemanzini.” Ekubeni simpompa amanzi aphindwe kalishumi kunomzimba waso ngeyure, isiponji sitsala izondlo, imichiza eyingozi nazo zonke iintsholongwane ezinokuba ngama-90 ekhulwini ezisemanzini. Isiponji siyakwazi ukuyibuyisela emva le nkqubo ukuze ihambisane nokutshintsha kwecala amanzi aya ngakulo okanye sikhuphe ukungcola okungaphakathi. UGrq. John Hooper uthi: “Iziponji . . . zilucoca ngenyameko ulwandle.”

Ukuxhaphaka kokutya namanzi phakathi kwisiponji kusenza sibe yindawo entle ahlala kuyo amanqonci, oononkala kunye nezinye izilwanyana ezincinane. Esinye isiponji besilikhaya kwizilwanyana ezingama-17 128. Iintsholongwane ezininzi, ubulembu kunye nokungunda zinolwalamano oluhle nesiponji. Iintsholongwane zinokuba malunga nesiqingatha sobunzima besiponji xa zimanzi.

Izazinzulu ziye zafumanisa ukuba iziponji kunye nezilwanyana ezihlala kuzo zinokuba luncedo ekwenzeni amayeza. Abanye bakholelwa kwelokuba loo mayeza anokuba luncedo ekulweni noGawulayo, umhlaza, isifo seengcongconi kunye nezinye izifo. Ebhekisela kwesinye sezo ziponji, umphengululi uShirley Pomponi uthi: “Indalo inokuvelisa iimolekyuli ezimangalisayo ngakumbi kunezo zinokuveliswa yikhompyutha.”

Ukuqaqamba Kwekristale

Ngokungafaniyo nesiponji esithambileyo esihlamba ngaso, iindidi ezininzi zesiponji zirhabaxa kwaye ziqinile. Ezi ziponji zinamasutswana azizigidi eekristale abizwa ngokuthi ziispicule. Xa ezi spicule zijongwa ngemikroskopu, ubuhle bazo buyamangalisa. Xa ezi spicule zidityaniswe ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo, zinokuyila iziponji ezimile ngendlela entsonkothileyo, izinto zokuzikhusela kunye neentambo ezinokuba ziimitha ezintathu ubude neesentimitha enye ubukhulu. Olunye udidi lwesiponji olutya inyama lusebenzisa iminatha engathi yiVelcro ukuze lubambise ixhoba.

Intyatyambo ebizwa ngokuba yideep-sea Venus isebenzisa iispicule ukuze izakhele uphahla oluhle ngeyona ndlela. Imicu esulungeke gqitha yesilika ifana twatse nethengiswayo esetyenziswa kwiintambo zefowuni. Esinye isazinzulu sithi: “Le micu ibonakala yomelele. Unokuyibopha ibe ngamaqhina kodwa ayinakuze iqhawuke, ngokwahlukileyo kwimicu ethengiswayo.” Indlela eyileka ngayo le micu elwandle iseyinkohla nangoku kwizazinzulu. UCherry Murray weBell Laboratries wathi: “Kule nkalo, isidalwa nje esingabalulekanga sinesicombululo kweyona ngxaki yoluntu ebalulekileyo yokwenziwa kweentambo zezixhobo ezininzi ze-elektroniki.”

Yindalo Okanye Yindaleko?

Emva kokuhlola yonke indlela isiponji esakhiwe ngayo, uHooper uthi: “Isiponji nje esingabalulekanga eneneni sesona silwanyana sintsonkothileyo, kwaye nanamhlanje oku asikaqondwa kakuhle. Kusengqiqweni ukubuza ukuba: Yaqala njani le ngxuba-kaxaka. Ngaba oku kwakunokwenzeka ngendaleko? Okanye ngaba iziponji zinikela ubungqina bokuba kukho uMyili okrelekrele?

Nakuba abanye besenokungavumi ukuba kukho uMdali, abantu abaninzi bayavumelana noko kwathethwa ngumdumisi wamandulo owathi: “Hayi indlela emininzi ngayo imisebenzi yakho, Yehova! Yonke uyenze ngobulumko. Uzele umhlaba yimveliso yakho . . . , izidalwa eziphilayo, ezincinane kwakunye nezikhulu.”—INdumiso 104:24, 25.

[Umzobo/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]

Isiponji nje esiqhelekileyo. Umfanekiso owandisiweyo weeseli ezimpompa amanzi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

Iispicule zesiponji

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

IVenus flower-basket

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]

Sea horse: Rudie H Kuiter; Iifoto ezintathu ezingasekunene: Dr. John Hooper, Queensland Museum

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 24]

Ngentla: Eye of Science/Photo Researchers, Inc.; ngezantsi: Kim Taylor/Warren Photographic