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‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys
2025/6/17
Quanta Science Podcast
H
Hannah Waters
L
Lauren Good
S
Samir Patel
Samir Patel：长途迁徙是自然界最令人惊叹的运动壮举之一，鸟类如何完成这种壮举，涉及到一些令人惊讶的细胞和分子特性。
Hannah Waters：我认为鸟类迁徙这种跨越大陆的全球现象，可以用亚细胞水平的微观特征来解释，这非常惊人。鸟类通过生理上的转变，例如增加脂肪储备、增大心脏、甚至吸收部分器官组织，来为长途迁徙做准备。其中，线粒体在能量供应方面起着关键作用。迁徙鸟类的细胞拥有更多的线粒体，并且这些线粒体具有更强的能量生产能力，但这种高强度能量生产也会带来活性氧物质的损伤，鸟类需要通过摄取富含抗氧化剂的食物来修复这些损伤。总而言之，鸟类迁徙是一个复杂而精妙的生理适应过程，线粒体在其中扮演着核心角色，帮助鸟类完成这项非凡的壮举。
Deep Dive
This chapter explores the incredible migratory feats of birds, focusing on the physiological challenges they overcome during their long-distance journeys. It highlights the extreme endurance of birds like the ruby-throated hummingbird and the bar-tailed godwit, which fly for extended periods without rest or food. The chapter sets the stage for exploring the cellular mechanisms that power these extraordinary journeys.
- Birds undertake continent-spanning migrations, often without stopping for rest or food.
- Ruby-throated hummingbirds fly for 20 hours straight across the Gulf of Mexico.
- Bar-tailed godwits fly 8,000 miles nonstop between Alaska and New Zealand.
- Migration involves significant physiological changes in birds.
Shownotes Transcript