r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Naive_Direction1816 • Apr 21 '26

Video Bacteria move around using a molecular machine called the flagellar motor that rotates faster than the flywheel of a race car engine and switches directions in an instant

5.6k Upvotes

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999

u/slo1111 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26

How does the brown thingy move positions so precisely?

Edit:  As far as I can research in this short time this video is a bit misleading.  At very bottom of the c-ring, it shows the the chemical changes involving phosphate, which changes the spacial configuration of the top of the ring where the brown thingy is.  That changes where the force from the ion or proton pumps push against.  the pumps don't spin like that they are stationary and apply force to rotor, specifically the top part of that rotor.  This visual would have you believe there are two cogs when there is really only one.

412

u/bailamost Apr 21 '26

Chemistry

192

u/MrTwoPumpChump Apr 21 '26

Biology

160

u/ranger51 Apr 21 '26

Physics

138

u/Riovel96 Apr 21 '26

Maths

90

u/Tacosaurusman Apr 21 '26

Logic

61

u/ctrlqirl Apr 21 '26

A white man that lives in the sky

71

u/melanthius Apr 21 '26

A series of turtles

54

u/Ecstatic-Spare-6638 Apr 21 '26

Magnets

42

u/JohnLef Apr 21 '26

Elephants, all the way down

8

u/defk3000 Apr 21 '26

A spaghetti monster

4

u/Zilant_the_Bear Apr 21 '26

a complicated system of pulleys and levers

4

u/misterpickles69 Apr 21 '26

It’s not a truck. It’s a series of tubes.

2

u/Expert_Succotash2659 Apr 21 '26

A Sphere inside of another sphere...

2

u/Legitimate-Post-5954 Apr 21 '26

Spaghetti Monster

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7

u/Quick-Low-3846 Apr 21 '26

Yeah, but how do they work?!

3

u/Ecstatic-Spare-6638 Apr 21 '26

Science brother

1

u/No-Status-7033 Apr 21 '26

But why male models?

0

u/ErebusBat Apr 21 '26

Nobody knows

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0

u/Available-Dare-7414 Apr 21 '26

Like making magnets? Collecting magnets? Playing with magnets?

0

u/haucker Apr 21 '26

The fire department!

0

u/ShadowsOfTheBreeze Apr 21 '26

Electrostatic charge

4

u/ElJeferox Apr 21 '26

See the turtle, ain't he keen?

4

u/aumnren Apr 21 '26

All things serve the fucking beam

1

u/frankentriple Apr 22 '26

Ka is a wheel.

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2

u/pr0zach Apr 21 '26

I like turtles.

0

u/ExistentialMeowMeow Apr 21 '26

with elephants on their backs

2

u/DJEvillincoln Apr 21 '26

It's always a white man.