We all see shining silver and gold ornaments on the Christmas tree. But did you know that gold is hidden in the needles of real spruce trees? This gold is in the form of small particles (nanoparticles). Finnish scientists have revealed this mystery.
According to a new study, Norway spruce (Picea abies) Tree With the help of bacteria, gold particles are absorbed from the roots along with water. This discovery was recently published in the journal ‘Environmental Microbiome’.
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How was the discovery made? near finland’s gold mine
Scientists conducted research on spruce trees near the Kittila mine in the northern part of Finland. This mine is the largest gold mine in Europe. The team took samples of 138 needles from 23 trees. The result was shocking – gold nanoparticles were found in the needles of four trees. These particles are so small that they are one millionth of a millimeter.
The study’s lead author Kaisa Lehosma, an ecologist at the University of Oulu in Finland, says that bacteria and other microorganisms living inside trees help in the accumulation of gold. These bacteria are called endophytes. These are good organisms living inside the trees, which make hormones for the trees and help them absorb nutrients.
Sleep How is it assembled? magic of bacteria
Trees absorb water from their roots. Gold dissolved in soil also comes with water. But gold is poisonous, so trees don’t want to store it in their needles. Endophyte bacteria come in handy here. These bacteria separate the gold particles through the biomineralization process.
Biomineralization means that organisms create or control minerals in their tissues. The bacteria surround the gold particles and form a biofilm. These biofilms are made of sugar and proteins, which keep the bacteria safe inside the tree.
The study found that the needles containing gold had lower numbers of bacteria – such as P3OB-42, Cutibacterium and Corynebacterium. Other studies have also shown that trees with more metals have less bacterial diversity. Bacteria do this to make gold less poisonous.
Is it beneficial to extract gold? no, but useful for searching
There is so little gold in needles that it is impossible to become rich by cutting trees. But this discovery is very useful for the discovery of gold. Scientists say that by finding such bacteria in the leaves of trees, it will become easier to find gold mines. Lehosma says that this bacteria screening will help mining companies.
Why is this discovery important?
This study shows how miraculous bacteria are in nature. Trees keep the environment clean by absorbing metals from the soil. This can provide new technology to the mining industry. It teaches us that small creatures can reveal big secrets.
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