Imbaza Emangalisayo Yembula Izimfihlo Zayo

YINI ekhiqiza ingcino enamandla engangenwa ngamanzi, esebenza njenge-vacuum cleaner, futhi ize ifundise ngisho nososayensi ngokuvuselelwa kwezakhi zofuzo? Inhlanzi encane nenganakekile enegobolondo eyaziwa ngokuthi imbaza (mussel)!

Izimbaza zitholakala emhlabeni wonke. Ezinye zihlala olwandle. Ezinye zihlala emifudlaneni egelezayo nasemachibini. Ngaphakathi kwegobolondo elihlukene kabili kunomzimba othambile ombozwe ngolwelwesi olunjengesikhumba olubizwa ngokuthi i-mantle. Njengoba kunjalo ngazo zonke izilwane ezinamagobolondo, i-mantle yenza igobolondo ngokuxuba i-calcium nesikhutha, okukhishwa ekudleni kwalesi silwane nasemanzini azungezile. Ukuze sibe nalelo khono, thina bantu bekungadingeka sidle izingcezu zamadwala, sizigaye ngaphakathi kithi, bese sizikhipha seziyizinto zokwakha esezilungisiwe ezivele zakhe izindonga nophahla! Kodwa akulona igobolondo elithakazelisa abacwaningi; unyawo lwembaza yasolwandle.

Ingcino Enamandla Yembaza

Ake uzame ukususa imbaza etsheni, uyobona ukuthi ibambelela iqine kangakanani—okuyinto ebalulekile ukuze imbaza ikwazi ukumelana noqhwaku olucijile lwenyoni yasolwandle elambile noma amagagasi olwandle anamandla. Ikwazi kanjani ukubambelela iqine kangaka? Lapho ikhetha indawo yokuhlala, ikhiphela unyawo lwayo olumise okolimi ngaphandle kwegobolondo ilucindezele phansi endaweni eqinile. Izindlala ezikhethekile zikhiqiza ingxube yoketshezi olunamaprotheni ingene emsedlaneni owehla ngonyawo. Lolu ketshezi ngokushesha luyaqina lube umucu omncane onwebekayo ongaba ngamasentimitha amabili ubude. Bese kuthi isitho esiyisicaba ekupheleni kwalo mucu sitshaze ingcosana yengcino engokwemvelo, imbaza iphakamise unyawo lwayo, futhi isinyathelo sokuqala sokuqinisa sesiphelile. Le micu ebekwe kahle yakha isixha esibizwa ngokuthi i-byssus, esibophela imbaza ekhaya layo elisha ngendlela efanayo indophi ebamba ngayo itende. Yonke le nqubo ithatha imizuzu emithathu noma emine kuphela.—Bheka umdwebo.

Ake ucabange nje unengcino enamandla engenabuthi, evumelana nezimo kangangokuthi ingangena nasezingosini ezincane, inamathele noma kuphi, ngisho nangaphansi kwamanzi. Abakhi bemikhumbi bangayijabulela ukuze balungise imikhumbi yabo ngaphandle kwezindleko zokuwukhiphela esikhumulweni. Omakhenika bezimoto bangawuthanda ngempela upende ongangenwa manzi ukuze izimoto zingagqwali. Odokotela abahlinzayo bangayazisa ingcino ephephile ukuze bahlanganise amathambo aphukile futhi bavale amanxeba. Odokotela bamazinyo bangagcwalisa izimbobo futhi bavale ngayo amazinyo aqhephukile. Izindlela engasetshenziswa ngazo zibonakala zingapheli.

Nokho, ososayensi abakucabangi ukusebenzisa izimbaza ngokwazo ukuze benze le ngcino enamandla. Kungathatha izimbaza ezingu-10 000 ukwenza igremu elilodwa lengcino. Ngakho ukuqoqa izimbaza ezinganela ukwanelisa isidingo somhlaba sengcino enamandla kungaziqeda nyá izimbaza, kanti vele kakade izinhlobo zazo eziningi zisengozini. Kunalokho, abacwaningi baseMelika baye bahlukanisa futhi benza izakhi zofuzo ezifanayo ukuze bathole amaprotheni amahlanu engcino yembaza, futhi sebezowakhiqiza ngobuningi endaweni yokucwaninga ukuze izimboni ziwahlole. Ososayensi baseBrithani nabo bacwaninga ngenye yala maprotheni anamathelayo. Nokho, imbaza isalokhu iphambili. Imbaza kuphela eyazi ngokwemvelo ingxube eqondile yamaprotheni adingekayo ohlotsheni ngalunye lwendawo. Isazi samangqamuzana ezinto eziphilayo uFrank Roberto uye wabuza ngokwazisa: “Niyokwazi kanjani ukulingisa lokho?”

I-vacuum Cleaner

Izimbaza zidla izinto ezizicwenge emanzini. Ezinhlotsheni eziningi, nsuku zonke imbaza ngayinye ifaka amalitha amaningana amanzi emzimbeni wayo bese ingakhiphi nje ukudla nomoya-mpilo kuphela kodwa nezinto ezingcolisayo njengamagciwane ayingozi namakhemikhali anobuthi. Leli khono lenza izimbaza zibe ngabahlanzi bamanzi abanekhono. Futhi lizenza zibe usizo ngokusheshe zixwayise ngokungcola kwamanzi. Ngokwesibonelo, kuye kwafakwa amakhulu ezimbaza olwandle ogwini olugcwele uwoyela lwase-Ekofisk eNorway. Njalo ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa ososayensi bayazithatha futhi bakale ukuthi kungakanani ukungcola okusemagobolondweni azo ukuze babone ukuthi amakhemikhali achithwa kulolu lwandle awazilimazi yini izinto eziphila olwandle. Kusukela ngo-1986, kuye kwasetshenziswa izimbaza nama-oyster kuyi-Mussel Watch Project ogwini nasemachibini angaphakathi ezweni eNyakatho Melika. Abacwaningi bayakwazi ukuthola noma yiluphi ushintsho ezingeni lokuhlanzeka kwamanzi ngokuhlola izimbaza minyaka yonke ukuze babone amakhemikhali anqwabelene ngaphakathi kuzo. Azive ziwusizo!

Olunye uhlobo olutholakala emanzini agelezayo, imbaza emthende ivame ukubhekwa njengohlupho. Lesi silwane esingangesithupha esitholakala empumalanga yeYurophu kungenzeka safika eNyakatho Melika ngephutha phakathi nawo-1980 lapho umkhumbi owawunqamula i-Atlantic uchitha amanzi awo okuwenza untante kahle. Njengoba ikude nezitha zayo zemvelo, imbaza emthende iye yanda ngokushesha emaChibini Amakhulu AseMelika nasemifudlaneni ehlangana nawo, yabangela umonakalo odla izigidi zamaRandi ngokuvimba amapayipi angenisa amanzi nangokunamathela emikhunjini, ezinsikeni nasemabhulohweni. Futhi iye yaminyanisa olunye uhlobo lwezimbaza zalapha.

Nokho, kunohlangothi oluhle. Ngenxa yokuthi izimbaza ezimthende zikucwenga kahle kakhulu ukudla okuwudoti emanzini, ngokushesha zihlanza amachibi anamanzi angcolile ngokusobozela ulwelwe oluntantayo. Izitshalo eziluhlaza zangaphansi kwamanzi sezingaphinde zichume futhi zibe yindawo yokuhlala yezinye izilwane zasemachibini. Ososayensi okwamanje bahlola umqondo wokusebenzisa ikhono lezimbaza lokucwenga ukuze bakhiphe amagciwane ayingozi emithonjeni yamanzi omphakathi ngisho nokukhipha indle emishinini ehlanza amanzi.

Amanye Amakhono

Bewazi yini ukuthi ezinye izimbaza zasemanzini ahlanzekile zikhiqiza amaparele emvelo, amanye awo ayigugu ngempela? Uma wake wagqoka ubucwebe obunamaparele acwebezelayo noma wasebenzisa izinkinobho ezingamaparele, kungenzeka ukuthi zazithathwe ezimbazeni. Iparele elicwebezelayo elinombala wothingo, elibizwa nangokuthi i-nacre, livela ngaphakathi kwamagobolondo ezimbaza, futhi livame ukusetshenziswa ezimbonini ezenza amaparele. Ubuhlalu obuncane beparele, obusikwe egobolondweni lembaza, bufakwa kuyi-oyster. Ngokushukunyiswa ngaleyo ndlela, i-oyster iqala ukwemboza lobo buhlalu ngezingqimba ze-nacre, ekugcineni yenze iparele.

Yiqiniso, ezinye izimbaza zasolwandle ziyasondla nathi! Sekungamakhulu eminyaka abantu bejabulela ukudla inyama yembaza ethambile nenomsoco ephekwe ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. Emizini yamaFulentshi ungase uzwe i-moules marinières, okungukuthi, izimbaza eziphekwe ngesobho lewayini elimhlophe neshaladi. AbaseSpain bawathanda eyisidlo esixubile i-paella, kuyilapho abaseBelgium bewabeka etafuleni ngebhodwe elikhulu lesitimu ehambisana namazambane athosiwe. Ukudoba izimbaza ngenjongo yokudayisa kuyibhizinisi elikhulu emhlabeni wonke, nakuba kwamanye amazwe aseYurophu kuseyibhizinisi lomkhaya. Nanti izwi lesixwayiso: Uma uhlela ukuzwa lokhu kudla okumnandi, qiniseka ukuthi izimbaza zakho zivela emthonjeni onokwethenjelwa, futhi ungazidobeli ogwini lolwandle ngaphandle kwalapho uqiniseka ukuthi amanzi ahlanzekile.

Ubani owaziyo ukuthi yiziphi ezinye izimfihlo imbaza eyozambula? Phela, ezinye zalezi zilwane kucatshangwa ukuthi ziphila isikhathi esingaphezu kwekhulu leminyaka! Imbaza inenhliziyo encane empompa igazi elingenambala, kodwa ayinabo ubuchopho. Pho imbaza izenza kanjani zonke lezi zinto ezimangalisayo ezichazwe ngenhla? IBhayibheli liyaphendula: “Khuluma kuwo umhlaba, uyakukufundisa, nezinhlanzi zolwandle ziyakukulandisa. Ngubani ongaziyo ngakho konke lokho ukuthi isandla sikaJehova sikwenzile lokho na?”—Jobe 12:8, 9.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Umvuseleli Wezakhi Zofuzo

Imbaza i-deep-sea ihlala kwenye yezindawo ezimbi kakhulu emhlabeni, iMid-Atlantic Ridge, lapho imithombo yamanzi ashisayo ikhipha khona amakhemikhali anobuthi obubi kakhulu alimaza izakhi zofuzo zalesi silwane. Nokho, ama-enzyme akhethekile enza le mbaza ikwazi ukulokhu ivuselela i-DNA yayo. Ososayensi bahlola la ma-enzyme ngethemba lokuthola indlela yokulungisa i-DNA yomuntu elinyazwe izifo noma ukuguga.

[Umdwebo/Isithombe ekhasini 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Indlela Yokubambelela Esetshenziswa Izimbaza Eziningi

Unyawo

Isiqu

Imicu yokubambelela

Umucu

Uqweqwe

[Isithombe ekhasini 22]

Izimbaza zingabahlanzi bamanzi abahle

[Umthombo]

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources/Michigan Sea Grant

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Imbaza eluhlaza yase-Asia

Imbaza eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka

Imbaza emthende

Imbaza yaseCalifornia

Imbaza i-“villosa iris”

(Izimbaza azibonisiwe ngobungako bazo)

[Imithombo]

Asian green: Courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory; zebra: S. van Mechelen/University of Amsterdam/Michigan Sea Grant; villosa iris mussel and bottom left: © M. C. Barnhart

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

I-“paella,” ukudla okuxubile kwaseSpain, kuvame ukuhlanganisa nezimbaza