Ukhokho—Amangqamuzana Amancane Akukhonza Kahle
ISAYENSI yathatha isinyathelo esikhulu esiqhubekayo ngawo-1660, lapho uRobert Hooke eNgilandi ethatha ucezu lukakhokho futhi eluhlola ngesibona-khulu ayesakhe ngokukhethekile. Wathola ukuthi wawungeyona into eyodwa, kodwa wawakhiwa izingxenye eziningi ezincane kakhulu ezinomoya. Wazibiza ngokuthi amacells (amangqamuzana), esusela egameni lesiLatini elithi cella, elisho “igumbi elincane.”
Amangqamuzana kakhokho mancane ngempela. Ayikho into eyakhiwe ngamangqamuzana, kungaba eyemvelo noma eklanyiwe, enamangqamuzana amaningi engxenyeni ngayinye njengoba kunjalo ngokhokho. Ngokwesilinganiso, kunalinganiselwa ku-20 000 ngemilimitha ngalinye eliwunxantathu! Mancane kakhulu kangangokuba akwenzeki ngisho nokuba ubone isimo esiningiliziwe sengqamuzana ngesibona-khulu esivamile. Besebenzisa izibona-khulu ezisebenza ngamaelectron, abacwaningi emayunivesithi aseCambridge, eNgilandi, naseLuleå, eSweden, baye bembula ukwakheka okuyinkimbinkimbi kwengqamuzana kakhokho. Futhi yilesimo—esinezinhlangothi eziyisithupha ezinezindonga ezinemifingcizo, njengaleyo yenkositini—esenza ukuba ukhokho ube nezici ezingavamile neziwusizo kakhulu.
Ukhokho ulula, uyantanta emanzini, uqinile, uhlala isikhathi eside, futhi awuguquki. Uyapeteka futhi uyavuma ukucindezelwa. Uyawuvimbela umoya, amafutha, nokungena kwamanzi. Awukuzwa ukudlikizeliswa, unezici ezinhle zokuvalisisa, futhi ukungenisa kancane ukushisa. Izinto eziklanyiwe azizange ziwuthathele indawo njengezinto ezikhethwayo zokuvala amabhodlela ezifakwa futhi zikhishwe kalula, futhi ezinamathela kahle. Ngenxa yokungashintshashintshi kwamakhemikhali azo nokunwebeka kwazo, zingalondoloza iwayini iminyaka eminingi ngaphandle kokuba lonakale. Ukhokho futhi uye wasetshenziswa kabanzi ekuvimbeleni amandla kagesi, ekuvimbeleni umsindo, komata baphansi, emabhodini ezaziso, kumagaskethi, ezithendeni zezicathulo, nasezintweni ezintantayo zokudoba nezokubonisa okungaphansi kwamanzi—ukusho nje ezimbalwa.
Ioki Kakhokho
Nakuba ungwengwezi olulula lukakhokho lutholakala emagxolweni azo zonke izihlahla, kukuyioki kakhokho wasendaweni yaseMedithera—ngokuyinhloko ePortugal, eSpain naseAlgeria—lapho kutholakala khona ukhokho omningi wezentengiselwano yomhlaba wonke. Ioki kakhokho ihlala iluhlaza. Amagxolo eoki kakhokho angaxetshulwa kahle, futhi ukhokho omusha uzophinda wakheke futhi!
Amagxolo omuthi kakhokho anezingwengwezi ezimbili ezivamile. Ungwengwezi lwangaphandle oluwugqinsi, olwakhiwa izingqamuzana ezifile, lusebenza njengesembozo esiyisivikelo, esivikela umuthi ekushiseni, ekulimaleni okuzenzekelayo, noma ekulahlekelweni amanzi. Yilolungwengwezi oluvunwayo ngesimiso esibizwa ngokuthi istripping (ukuxebula). Nokho, kumelwe kwenziwe ngokunakekela ukuze ungwengwezi oluphilayo olungaphakathi lungalinyazwa, kungenjalo ukhokho omusha ngeke wakheke.
Ukuxebula kungenziwa lapho umuthi usukhulile futhi amagxolo awo angaphandle esewugqinsi—ngokuvamile kusukela eminyakeni engu-20 kuya kwengu-25. Ngemva kokuba ukhokho usukhishiwe emthini, uqala uyekwe izinsuku ezimbalwa ukuze wome. Khona-ke uyabiliswa ukuze kususwe itannic acid nenkovu. Lokhu futhi kwandisa ukunwebeka kwawo futhi kuyawuthambisa ukhokho ukuze ukwazi ukwelulwa futhi uboshwe ube izinyanda ezilungele ukuthunyelwa. Lenqubo iyaluxegisa futhi ungwengwezi lwangaphandle, olumaholo futhi luyaphalwa lususwe. Umuthi uyayekwa ukuze uphinde uveze amagxolo awo angaphandle, okuyiminyaka eyisishiyagalombili kuya kweyishumi, lapho ungaphinda uvunwe khona futhi. Ukhokho omuhle kakhulu uba ngemva kokuxetshulwa kwesibili, futhi umuthi ungaba ngokhiqizayo iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu.
Manje ukukhiqizwa kukakhokho kudlula amathani ayingxenye yesigidi ngonyaka—ngobuningi kulingana namathani ayizigidi ezingu-28 ensimbi. Minyaka yonke cishe kwenziwa izivalo eziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-20 zamabhodlela ewayini kuphela. Eziningi zezindlela zokusetshenziswa kukakhokho sezineminyaka engaphezu kuka-2 000 zaziwa. “Zimbalwa izinto ezinomlando omude kangaka noma eziye zasinda kahle kangaka emncintiswaneni wezinto ezenziwe umuntu ezithathela ezinye indawo,” kusho ukuhlola okwenziwe eYunivesithi yaseCambridge. Iyini imfihlo yawo? Ingqamuzana encane kakhokho eyakhiwe ngokuyingqayizivele—isimangaliso sendalo.