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When a glass frog sleeps, it turns almost transparent by pumping most of its red blood cells into its liver — hiding the colour that would give it away.

Glass frog research

NatureScience

Why it matters

The idea in context

Red blood cells are what make blood visible, so to disappear against a leaf the frog tucks up to nine-tenths of them inside a mirror-like liver while it rests. Somehow it does this without its blood clotting, a trick doctors would love to understand. At night, when it needs to move and hunt, the cells flow back out and the frog turns solid again.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Bir cam kurbağası uyurken, kırmızı kan hücrelerinin çoğunu karaciğerine pompalayarak neredeyse saydam hâle gelir — kendini ele verecek rengi gizler.
Cam kurbağası araştırması

Kanı görünür kılan kırmızı kan hücreleridir; bu yüzden bir yaprağa karşı kaybolmak için kurbağa, dinlenirken bunların onda dokuzuna kadarını ayna gibi bir karaciğere saklar. Bir biçimde bunu, kanı pıhtılaşmadan yapar; doktorların anlamayı çok isteyeceği bir hüner. Geceleri, hareket edip avlanması gerektiğinde hücreler geri akar ve kurbağa yeniden katılaşır.

Source trail

Read beyond the card.

Background reading: Glass frogAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
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