*brain explodes*
Mar. 7th, 2007 03:34 pmMy laptop, Gin-sama, scared me last night by letting the backlight gnomes go on strike. It's fine now, but I shall be more careful and let the monitor rest every now and then. This is really puzzling because, yesterday, the thing hadn't been on for too long before it went berserk, whereas I used to keep it on for a whole day at a time some months ago.
Anyway, I'm taking a much-needed break from writing my chitinase paper. I know I need a break because I am TEMPTED to insert the following comments into my oh-so-serious equivalent-to-one-exam technical report:
"[Chitin] is in fact largely responsible for the fairly rigid and inelastic nature of insect exoskeletons." It is also largely responsible for that crunchy sound insects make when you step on them. Kerrr-UNCH!
"Interestingly, the peritrophic matrix in the midgut which protects the gut epithelium from pathogens and mechanical damage is also composed of chitin." Said mechanical damage being the sharpt, pointy, poky bits of other insects they've chomped on, depriving their meals of their one last chance for revenge. Insect life is mean and unforgiving.
Anyway, I'm taking a much-needed break from writing my chitinase paper. I know I need a break because I am TEMPTED to insert the following comments into my oh-so-serious equivalent-to-one-exam technical report:
"[Chitin] is in fact largely responsible for the fairly rigid and inelastic nature of insect exoskeletons." It is also largely responsible for that crunchy sound insects make when you step on them. Kerrr-UNCH!
"Interestingly, the peritrophic matrix in the midgut which protects the gut epithelium from pathogens and mechanical damage is also composed of chitin." Said mechanical damage being the sharpt, pointy, poky bits of other insects they've chomped on, depriving their meals of their one last chance for revenge. Insect life is mean and unforgiving.