ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE LIFE CYCLE OF
Caput luciferum
HOW TO LIVE WITH A SPARK?
Throughout history, people were equally confused as they were fascinated by Caput luciferum. Why does it thrive in the hair of some people, while it is not attracted at all by some others? Why does it light in situations when people are under severe stress? What happens to it after leaving a human host? This Life Cycle Manual is the result of innumerable hours of scientific observation and in vivo research dedicated to understanding the C.luciferum and present it a succinct and understandable way. I responsibly declare that laboratory research has adhered to the Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments guidelines by the National Centre for the Replacement Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research as well as guidelines for the treatment of animals in behavioural research and teaching (“Research Ethics and Animal Treatment | Royal Society.� https:// royalsociety.org/ journals/ ethics-policies/ research-ethics). 3
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Phylogenetic tree
The evolutionary pathway of C.luciferum is unclear to date. It is hypothesised that the specificity of its body material and of its way of life led to a complete absence of fossil evidence. Current knowledge on evolutionary history heavily relies on data extrapolated from methods of genome sequencing and molecular clock. As illustrated in the figure, it is assumed that C.luciferum has a polyphyletic origin from the Kingdom of Fungi and Animalia, with a significant contribution to the genome by the Proteobacteria genes, which is presumed to have been incorporated into the C.luciferum genus thanks to the HGT-horizontal gene transfer. It is assumed that it has evolved to the form in which it is known today about 7 million years ago, following the evolution of our earliest ancestors. Thus, even though it belongs to the realm of Animalia, this unusual species is the only representative of the phylum, class, order, family, and genus in which it is situated, based on the principles of systematics. 5
Phase 1 Carried by the wind, the spores of all genders of C.luciferum have high affinity for hair follicles and shaft of Homo sapiens. However, the individuals of C.luciferum cannot survive on every host, but rather rely on a symbiotic relationship. The synthesis of nutrients and material necessary for their metabolism is conditioned by the electromagnetic energy field of the host brain – the biggest producer of bioelectricity in nature. The exact mechanism of this phenomenon as well as its high specificity for specific individuals remain unclear. Observational studies have shown that C.luciferum is most frequently found on humans with an average age of 24 years (confidence interval 17-27) that engage in regular intellectual activity for more than an average of 4.7 hours (SD 1.3) per day. There was no difference between male and female human hosts. In other words, the most common human hosts tend to be students. Studies with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), MRI tractography and Electroencephalography support the notion that C.luciferum is attracted to the formation of new, long-lasting synapses under conditions of intellectual or emotional stress. These conditions are mostly represented in the student cohort, which strengthens the human host theory. Further research in this area is warranted. Also, it is unclear why C.luciferum has minimal affinity for neonates and infants, arguably the humans with the highest rate of formation of such neurological pathways. Preliminary studies in the European Molecular Biology Laboratory indicate that C.luciferum has not evolved to recognised hair shaft and follicles of infants or children. Interestingly, studies from the Melbourne Neuroscience Institute argue that the levels of stress in the formation of such synapses is significantly less in children, which may provide a potential explanation of why C.luciferum was never interested to evolve to this cohort. Of note, there have been case-reports of human suffering severe anaphylactic and other allergic reaction attributed to the presence C.luciferum. The treatment that is usually prescribed is the same as for the head lice removal. 6
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Phase 1 Female spore Approximately 40 micrometres in diameter and 60 micrometres long, the female spore is the largest C.luciferum spore. It is recognizable by the opening of a medial cone shape that extends along the whole spore. The spore’s numerous filaments end with the receptor for sapienic acid, the only fatty acid that exclusively appears as a human sebum ingredient. The above notion was first described by Uhura et al in 1984. However, recent advances in the human genome project led to the identification of large domains of Keratin-Associated Proteins (KAP) in human hair (Shimomura et al, 2005). Specifically, pioneering work from the Francis Crick Institute showed that female spore of C.luciferum has high affinity for KAP-3 and KAP-16, both high sulphur domains.
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Phase 1 Male spore With modest dimensions (20 micrometres), this spore is recognizable by a large number of filaments with sapienic acid receptors. Also, high affinity for KAP-10 and KAP-12 (high sulphur) have been reported.
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Phase 1 Middle gender spore This spore has only one filament with the receptors for sapienic acid. It is recognisable by the wings that are covered with short, dense fibres that serve for the attachment on the human hair. Another characteristic of this spore is a special extension that binds it to the end of the hair. The body of this spore reaches a size of up to 50 micrometres. No affinity for KAP has been reported in the middle gender spore.
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Phase 2 All members of the Caput luciferum species are distinguished by their characteristic bioluminescence, which is subject to both the human circadian rhythm and to fluctuations in the electrical activity of the brain. Bioluminescence is a product of an enzyme mediated reaction of luciferin pigment with oxygen, where photons are produced as a bi-product. The enzyme, luciferase, has a quaternary structure due to the different arrangements of four subunits, much like human haemoglobin. This gives its characteristic helical structure. Different luciferase types result from different combination of the four subunits, which yield reactions of different light intensity and wavelength, hence colour. C.luciferum is characterized by gender trimorphism in this phase.
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Phase 2 Female juvenile stage Developing from spores, a female individual reaches a size of up to several millimetres. The main feature of the female individual is the spiral pattern of bioluminescent cells that follow the internal organization of the individual (see figure).
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Phase 2 Male juvenile stage The male individual is characterized by remnant filaments from the spore stage, which are used for the firm attachment to the human hair. The largest percentage of its body volume is filled with ampoules of an organic gel-like substance necessary for the process of synthesis of nutrients and materials, whose constituents have not been characterised to date.
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Phase 2
Middle gender juvenile stage The basic feature of the middle gender individual is body segmentation. Each of these oval segments is connected by a thick filament – a "spine" – with another segment. Also, each of the segments is covered by bioluminescence cells. Attachment to the human hair is enabled by the formation of a negative pressure field beneath each of the segments. This may explain the lack of affinity for KAP.
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Male adult stage The adult male is characterised by hundreds of long filaments, convoluted amongst themselves and the “eye� organ. At either ends of the filaments there are sacs filled with the reproductive material (spermatozoids). Contractions of the entangled long filaments enable the male adult to move in all directions only with minimal assistance from mild air currents.
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Phase 3 Upon reaching full maturity, the C.luciferum individuals leave their hosts, therefore starting the first phase recognisable by active movement. Another dominant characteristic of this phase is the formation of light sensing organs, similar to the eyes of advanced animals. For reasons that remain unclear, movement of individuals is not random but directed, and always ends on a water interface.
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Middle gender adult stage Individuals of the middle gender form an eye analogue organ at the anterior end of the spine, which is directed towards the nearest water surface. This causes a conformational change in the C.luciferum’s cytoskeleton, characterised by contractions of filaments in close proximity to the “eye”, pulling the posterior aspect of the body. Rapid and forceful relaxation of the contracted segments propels the body forward. The exact biological role of this stage remains unclear. A large number are lost in their attempt to locate a water interface. As a result, only a minority makes it to water to participate in reproduction.
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Phase 3
Female adult stage In its active phase, this individual is distinguishable by a characteristic propeller, that generates mild air flow. This characteristic body form is created by a conical conformational change of the body of the individual from phase 2. It is important to note the position of the bag with the reproductive material, placed above the "eye". Some scientists believe that this strategy is key to the survival and evolutionary stability of C.luciferum, since it enables the individual to “keep an eye� on its future offspring.
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Male adult stage The adult male is characterised by hundreds of long filaments, convoluted amongst themselves and the “eye� organ. At either ends of the filaments there are sacs filled with the reproductive material (spermatozoids). Contractions of the entangled long filaments enable the male adult to move in all directions only with minimal assistance from mild air currents.
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Reproduction
There is little knowledge about the reproduction of C.luciferum. What is certain is that their reproductive phase begins in spring. At the end of March, the juvenile individuals separate from their hosts and enter into the active movement phase. After finding a standing, clean water surface, the individuals start the fertilization phase. The middle gender adult serves as a receptor of male and female sex cells - ova and spermatozoa. The epithelial layers of its “spine” start to peel, therefore exposing the receptacular cells. The male adult lands onto the caudal part of the middle gender adult and, by slow contraction of its convoluted filaments, brings its reproductive material into direct physical contact with the middle sex adult. This behaviour is repeated on every segment of the middle sex adult. The female sex adult positions itself rostrally, placing the sac with its reproductive material near the "spine" of the middle sex. A middle sex adult accepts the genetic material of a female individual into its "spine". From this moment onwards, all stages of the reproduction are carried out in the middle sex adult. The egg cells are transported by the “spine” to all segments where they will be fertilized by spermatozoa. 24
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Reproduction The zygotes are formed by the fusion of male and female reproductive materials – ova and spermatozoa – in specialised receptor cells. Eventually, each zygote will transform into a spore. All the cell organelles, as well as the energy and building material necessary for the formation of spores and their filaments (hyphae) come from a middle gender individual. Energy is selectively channelled to the above processes and, as a result, the remaining cellular functions for homeostasis are compromised. The middle gender individual will eventually disintegrate and sacrifice itself for this reproductive process, undergoing radical differentiation. The conical structures on which hyphae grow remain and spores will form on the tip of these hyphae, which will eventually be released on the fifth day.
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The pupal stage Interestingly, although the life cycle of these animals lasts for one year, this is not the last chapter of life for male and female individuals. After handing over the reproductive material to the middle gender adult, they fly to the closest tree and form a pupa within which their metamorphosis begins. These pupas are formed of a protein that resembles keratin in its tertiary structure.
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Phase 4 The metamorphosis lasts just under seven days, and ends with one of the most beautiful examples of mimicry in the living world. Remarkably, new organisms only leave their pupas during a stormy weather, stimulated by the change in electrical charge of water molecules in the atmosphere. As they leave their pupas, the morphs resemble autumn leaves, both in weight and in shape. By using warm air currents, the morphs are attracted to humans undergoing REM sleeps - almost without exception to children. There, they land on their eyelids for one hour, after which they depart away. To date, it is unclear why they choose to remain on the eyelids for one hour only, and how they keep track of time. As mentioned above, the different electrical pattern of human brains in REM sleep may play a role.
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Phase 4 Before sunrise, each morph will invariably die, in a moment that is equally dramatic and romantic. With the first rays of sunlight, the morphs’ cells start to undergo apoptosis, using caspase-like molecules. This chemical reaction gives them the tragic departure from this world, as they disappear in a sudden flash of light. The evolutionary significance of the behaviour of C. luciferum is not fully understood to date. Interestingly, children who have received the morphs during the night report unusually vivid dreams that they remember throughout their lives, and they grow to become potential hosts of C.luciferum in the initial stages of its development. Thus, it can be speculated that the morphs somehow prepare their hosts to accommodate more organisms in the future, increasing their odds of survival long term. It is worth noting that C.luciferum is able to distort remarkable amounts of electromagnetic for its size, that could potentially affect the electromagnetic fields of the brain.
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In place of conclusion We often forget that science was born as a thought trying to explain the endless wondering in front of nature’s secrets. Our system of thinking, as well as ourselves, are the product and answer to the world that surrounds us. Do we dare to imagine the world without C.luciferum (known as Spark in common language)? Do we dare to imagine a human in such a world? Spark had a thought once: “I nested stars in your hair, and covered your eyes with beyond-human dreams, but you have cut your curls and cried for the stars that never existed. You stayed in the dark, blind”… Someone else might have caught that thought. The question remains – would we really be blind without the “stars in our hair”? The only answer we could provide is in the words of Blaise Pascal – that world terrifies us.
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Throughout history, people were equally confused as they were fascinated by Caput luciferum. Why does it thrive in the hair of some people, while it is not attracted at all by some others? Why does it light in situations when people are under severe stress? What happens to it after leaving a human host? This Life Cycle Manual is the result of innumerable hours of scientific observation and in vivo research dedicated to understanding the C.luciferum and Written and illustrated by present it a succinct and understandable way. I responsibly declare that laboratory research has adhered to the Animal Daša Spasojević Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments guidelines by Stefan Simić the National Centre for the Replacement Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research as well as guidelines for the treatment of animals in behavioural research and teaching (“Research Ethics and Animal Treatment | Royal Society.” https:// royalsociety.org/ journals/ ethics-policies/ research-ethics). Belgrade, June 2011. 3