Izipanji—Aziyona Inkimbinkimbi Kodwa Ziyamangalisa

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

UNGATHANDA yini ukugeza ngezinsalela zesilwane esithile? Ungase ungawunambithisisi kahle lowo mqondo. Kodwa isipanji sokugeza esingokwemvelo empeleni siwuhlaka lwamathambo esilwane aphicene.

I-National Geographic News ithi: “Izipanji zisesigabeni esidala nesiphansi kunazo zonke phakathi kwezilwane.” Lokhu kuye kwenza abantu abathile basikisela ukuthi izipanji zasendulo zazingokhokho bezilwane nabantu abavela ngokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Olunye uhlelo lwethelevishini lwaze lwathi isipanji “singu-Eva wezilwane”—“ukhokho owasungula konke okuphilayo.”

Yini ososayensi abayifundile ngezipanji? Ingabe ziyizilwane nje ezingeyona inkimbinkimbi, noma zinikeza ubufakazi bokuthi ziklanywe ngendlela emangalisayo?

Azinanhliziyo, Azinabuchopho, Azinankinga

Izipanji zingase zifane nezimila, kodwa u-Aristotle noPliny Omdala bazichaza ngokunembile ngokuthi ziyizilwane. Ochwepheshe balinganisela ukuthi kunezinhlobo ezingaba ngu-15 000 ezitholakala emhlabeni wonke emachibini nasolwandle kanti zakheke ngezindlela eziningi ezikhexisayo futhi zinemibala ehlukahlukene. Izipanji zingase zifane neminwe emide emincane, imiphongolo egcwele, ukhaphethi ondlaliwe, iziphephetha-moya ezinhle, ngisho nanjengamavazi enziwe ngekristalu—uma sibala nje imiklamo embalwa. Ezinye zincane kunohlamvu lwerayisi, kanti ezinye ziphakeme ngaphezu komuntu. Ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi ezinye izipanji kungenzeka zinamakhulu eminyaka zikhona.

I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Uma sibheka ukwakheka kwazo, imisebenzi yazo nendlela ezikhula ngayo, izipanji zihlukile kwezinye izilwane.” Kanjani? Ngokungafani nezinye izilwane, izipanji azinazo izitho zangaphakathi. Pho, ziphila kanjani, njengoba zingenayo inhliziyo, ubuchopho, noma izinzwa? Amangqamuzana amancane angaphakathi kwesipanji anakekela imisebenzi eminingi esekela ukuphila. Kunamangqamuzana akhethekile amunca ukudla, athuthe izakhi zomzimba, noma akhiphe ukungcola. Amanye anomsebenzi onzima wokwakha izingxenye zohlaka lwamathambo noma zesikhumba. Amanye amangqamuzana angazishintsha abe olunye uhlobo, kuye ngokwesidingo.

Izipanji zihlukile nangezinye izindlela. Uma uthatha isipanji esiphilayo usifake esisefweni bese usicindezela, amangqamuzana aso aphinde ahlangane, abe yisilwane esiphelele. Uma ugaya izipanji ezimbili ndawonye, amangqamuzana ayahlukana kancane kancane aze akhe izipanji ezimbili zokuqala. I-National Geographic News ithi: “Asikho esinye isitshalo noma isilwane esikwazi ukuzivuselela ngale ndlela.”

Izipanji zibuye zizalane ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene ezikhexisayo. Ezinye izipanji zakha amangqamuzana “ayimikhumbi-mkhathi” bese ziwakhipha ayohlasela kwezinye izindawo. Njengoba zintanta zingenzi lutho, lezi “zifiki” zihamba zize ziyothi cababa endaweni ethile, zibuye zivuke, bese ziphuma kulo “mkhumbi-mkhathi” wazo ukuze zikhiqize isipanji esisha. Ezinye zizala ngendlela evamile, zilokhu zishintshashintsha izindima zesilisa nezesifazane uma kunesidingo. Izipanji ezithile zibekela amaqanda. Emangele, umlobi uPaul Morris wathi: “Uma sibhekisisa ngisho nezinto eziphilayo okuthiwa aziyona inkimbinkimbi, kulapho sibona khona ukuthi ziyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu.”

Abahlanzi Bolwandle

Izipanji “zinesimiso sokudla esiyingqayizivele phakathi kwezilwane,” kubhala isazi sezilwane u-Allen Collins. Izimbotshana ezisesikhunjeni ngaphandle ziholela enxanxatheleni yezintunja namagumbi atholakala kuwo wonke umzimba wesipanji. Ulwelwesi lwale nxanxathela lunamangqamuzana amancane agwedlayo, noma ama-choanocyte. Ingqamuzana ngalinye linomucu onjengesiswebhu oya ngapha nangapha. Umlobi uBen Harder uyachaza: “Njengabagwedli besikebhe samaRoma, [la mangqamuzana] ampompa amanzi njalo awadlulisele kwamanye amangqamuzana esipanji, aklanyelwe ukuba abambe futhi amunce izinhlayiyana zokudla ezisemanzini.” Njengoba simpompa umthamo wamanzi ophindwe izikhathi eziyishumi kunobukhulu baso ihora ngalinye, isipanji simunca izakhi zomzimba, amakhemikhali anobuthi, kanye namaphesenti angaba ngu-90 awo wonke ama-bacterium asemanzini. Siyakwazi nokulawula noma ukushintsha indlela esiwampompa ngayo la manzi ukuze simelane nomsinga oshintshayo noma sikhiphe izibhidi ezisemzimbeni. UDkt. John Hooper uthi: “Izipanji . . . zingabahlanzi bolwandle abaphumelela kunabo bonke.”

Ukugelezela kwamanzi nokungena njalo kokudla emzimbeni wesipanji kusenza sibe ikhaya elihle lezimfanzi, izinkalankala nezinye izilwanyana. Kwesinye isipanji kwatholakala izilwane ezingu-17 128. Izipanji ziphila ngokubambisana nama-bacterium, ulele nezikhunta ezinhlobonhlobo. Ama-bacterium angase akhe amaphesenti angu-50 esisindo sezipanji lapho zimanzi.

Ososayensi baye bathola ukuthi izipanji nezilwane eziphila kuzo ziwumthombo othembisayo wemithi emisha yokwelapha futhi eyingqayizivele. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi imithi enjalo ingase ibe usizo ekwelapheni ingculaza, umdlavuza, umalaleveva nezinye izifo. Ekhuluma ngenye inhlanganisela enjalo yesipanji, umcwaningi uShirley Pomponi uthi: “Imvelo isinika inhlanganisela yamakhemikhali ethakazelisa kakhulu kunaleyo engase isungulwe ngama-computer ethu imbala.”

Ubuhle Obucwazimulayo

Ngokungafani nezipanji zokwenziwa ezithambile, ezasolwandle ziyahaya kanti ezinye ziqinile. Lezi zipanji zinezigidi zamakristalu amancane okuthiwa ama-spicule. Lapho ehlolwa ngesibonakhulu, ama-spicule mahle kakhulu futhi akheke ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene ezikushiya ukhexile. Uma ehlangene ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene, ama-spicule angakha izinhlaka zamathambo eziyinkimbinkimbi, amagobolondo ayisivikelo kanye nezindophi ezingaba amamitha amathathu ubude nesentimitha elilodwa ubukhulu. Esinye isipanji esidla inyama sisebenzisa amanetha okudoba anjenge-Velcro ukuze sibambe izisulu.

I-Venus’s flower-basket etholakala ekujuleni kolwandle isebenzisa ama-spicule ukuze yakhe uhlaka lwengilazi oluyinkimbinkimbi futhi oluhle kakhulu. Le micu ehlanzekile yengilazi ifana nezintambo zokwenziwa ze-fiber optic. Usosayensi othile uyachaza: “Le micu ephilayo ye-fiber optic iqine ngempela. Ngokungefani nemicu yokwenziwa, ungayibopha amafindo aqine ngqí, kodwa ngeke inqamuke.” Ososayensi basaxakekile namanje ukuthi le micu eyinkimbinkimbi yakhekha kanjani emanzini asolwandle, endaweni ebanda kangaka. UCherry Murray wenkampani i-Bell Laboratories uthi: “Kulesi sici, isilwane okuthiwa asiyona inkimbinkimbi sinekhambi lenkinga eyinkimbinkimbi ngempela yokuhlanganiswa kwama-fiber optic nezinto eziklanyiwe.”

Zavela Ngengozi Noma Zaklanywa?

Ngemva kokuhlaziya izici eziningi ezimangalisayo zemvelo ezitholakala kulezi zipanji, uHooper uthi: “‘Isipanji okuthiwa asiyona inkimbinkimbi’ empeleni [siyisilwane] esiyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu, esingakaqondakali kahle ngisho nanamuhla.” Khona-ke kunengqondo ukubuza: Lesi silwane esiyinkimbinkimbi savela kanjani futhi ngani? Ingabe savela ngengozi? Noma ingabe izipanji zinikeza ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokuthi kunoMklami ohlakaniphile?

Nakuba abanye bengase benqabe ukucabanga ngokuba khona koMdali, abantu abaningi bavumelana nalokho okwashiwo umhubi wasendulo: “O Jehova, yeka ukuthi miningi kangakanani imisebenzi yakho! Yonke uyenzé ngokuhlakanipha. Umhlaba ugcwele imikhiqizo yakho . . . , izidalwa eziphilayo, ezincane kanye nezinkulu.”—IHubo 104:24, 25.

[Umdwebo/Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Ukwakheka kwesipanji esivamile. Isithombe esikhulisiwe samangqamuzana ampompa amanzi

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Ama-“spicule” esipanji

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

I-“Venus’s flower-basket”

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 23]

Sea horse: Rudie H Kuiter; 3 right-hand inset photos: Dr. John Hooper, Queensland Museum

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 24]

Top: Eye of Science/Photo Researchers, Inc.; bottom: Kim Taylor / Warren Photographic