Swedish biologists have discovered a previously unknown energy-saving mechanism in the Svalbard white partridge, which is to "turn off" the immune system itself.
To survive in the cold Arctic environment, animals must use energy efficiently. A new study conducted by Sweden's Lund University shows that the Svalbard white partridge - the bird that lives closest to the north pole - can "sacrifice" their immune system in the winter to maintain the energy needed to survive. keeping warm and foraging.
"We found that partridges maximize the energy they use to maintain their immune system at night and use that resource to stay warm and forage. When it's morning, the immune response is increased. This mechanism persists for 5 months," said study lead author Andreas Nord from Lund University.
The Svalbard white partridge is the bird that lives closest to the north pole of the Earth. Photo: UPI.
The scientists analyzed seasonal changes in the Svalbard white partridge's immune system and found that when the birds were sick in midwinter, their energy levels dropped compared to when they were healthy, but in the spring. vice versa.
"Weaker immune systems are probably part of the adaptations that animals in the Arctic use to conserve energy. The risk of arctic birds getting sick in winter is lower than in summer, when it's getting warmer," Nord explained.
The team suspects a strong immune system is not really necessary for animals in the Arctic during the cold season. However, the unique energy-saving mechanism of the Svalbard white partridge is also at great risk as global temperatures continue to rise.
"Climate change could have negative consequences for Arctic birds. More and more people are exploring lands that have never been reached before. This increases the risk of disease transmission to the Arctic. animals, especially those that have evolved to adapt to cold environments near the poles, where strong immune systems are not so helpful," added Nord.
Details of the study were published in the journal Experimental Biology on April 27.
Doan Duong (According to UPI)
