Naked mole rat

Weird looking rodents could provide clues to long life. Read the full in depth article here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827831.100-naked-and-ugly-the-new-fac...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• wildlife
• health
• mole
• rat

[Thunderfvck]

Not even cancer will touch that shit!

[synsei1]

When you think your life sucks, watch this video and be thankful you're not a blind naked creature living underground in africa and looking like a dick with bunny teeth.

[Allyismful12]

Cute!

[BriannaDawnc]

What is that?

That Freaky thing?

[Savionce]

CUTE!

[mermaidamp]

Looks like Rufus from Kim Possible.

[mermaidamp]

Looks like Rufus from Kim Possible. 

[roidroid]

@mooxim IIRC it's because they have multiple programmable cellular death systems triggered by overcrowding.

In humans for example, when cells get overcrowded it can trigger the cells to commit suicide to free up room, but in invasive cancer this is one of the systems that gets turned off (allowing the cancer to keep growing no matter how crowded the cells feel).

Naked molerats have MANY of these systems in their cells, so a cancer has to disable ALL of them, which is hard for the cancer to do.

[roidroid]

@amicusnemini seriously?

you study the mole rat, and find out why/how it doesn't get cancer. Thereby increasing our knowledge of cancer and possibly learning new ways to inoculate other animals (such as humans) against cancer.

[giascle]

@thewolf312 If you slit your own throat and start to pass out from blood loss, you'd probably realize that's a bad idea, regardless of if you feel it or not.

[thewolf312]

@tosgem But they just don't feel the pain, the damages still occur, which is why i think it's a pretty useless trait.

[Sc0ttPrian]

@Thunderfvck hahahahaah