Talk:Hydra (genus)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 11 January 2021 and 21 April 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): JWilgs.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 22:43, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 7 January 2019 and 24 April 2019. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Mhedelund2017.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 00:06, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

picture
are there any pictures I can get on the Hydra(genus)?

- I'm personally concerned about the main image at the top of the article as it appears overtly phallic. Can another shot not be taken from a less pleasing angle? Trying to learn here. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.59.199.204 (talk) 11:54, 17 March 2016 (UTC)

Beautiful?
"mac and roni" needs a citation and attribution. Wikipedia does not claim that things are beautiful. -Silence 06:05, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

What is "hydra are low power microscopical life forms" supposed to mean? It just sounds like gibberish. --scienceman 21:38, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

The original text read "Hydras are beautiful low power microscopical objects and are often studied by biologists. "

This has been mutated to the current form - it appears that some editors regard "Beautiful" as a POV statement ! Velela 08:11, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Hydra vulgaris?
Isn't there a Hydra vulgaris as well?


 * Yes, roni is my best frriend!! love mac! it's a synonym for Hydra attenuata (see ). AxelBoldt 19:09, 14 May 2006 (UTC)

more information?
we need to have more information about hydras.
 * Yes--86.128.77.245 00:00, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

if you have some problum so just call:+923453052288(Mr.Johnson) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.61.40.46 (talk) 15:33, 21 December 2009 (UTC)  and mariner is used as reasearch also.

What is the approximate size of a hydra? Need both in metric scale and a familiar comparison.Samtunes (talk) 20:33, 31 July 2012 (UTC)samtunes

Biologically immortal?
I'm sorry but....biologically immortal?

Can we have more citations for this fact please? I'm no biologist but this sounds like its been either entirely made up or misinterpreted.


 * Citations is in the article. "Biologically immortal" doesn't mean that they live forever, it just means that their death probability doesn't increase with age. AxelBoldt (talk) 05:43, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

they can regenerate by asexual reproduction 106.223.159.121 (talk) 18:06, 6 February 2021 (UTC)

Radial Symmetry
The picture of a hydra doesn't appear to be radially symmetric. I assume this statement means that they can form a spherical shape but if they're not always in this shape how can they be radially symmetric? Can someone who knows more about this expand on it. 212.140.167.99 11:42, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

Radial symmetry is when an organism is symmetrical in any transverse section. I.e a section across the body produces a circular shape, whilst one across the tentacles produces a neat circle of circular cross sections. A longitudinal section would hover produce an asymmetrical form. Velela (talk) 10:43, 31 January 2008 (UTC) it to much understandable —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.61.40.46 (talk) 15:31, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

Italics
The whole artical needs to be edited to show Hydra in italics since this is the genus name. By scientific standard, when referring to an organism by it's genus and/or species name, the name should appear in italics. "Hydras", however, need not be in italics since this is not the scientific name. Marv101 (talk) 12:54, 2 March 2008 (UTC)

Semi-protection
Wow, if you look at the history -  tons  of vandalism. I think semi-protection would be worthwhile. Timeroot (talk) 03:16, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

Plural
Is the plural of hydra "hydras", or is the word uncountable? --T.M.M. Dowd (talk) 17:03, 24 June 2009 (UTC)


 * I guess it all depends. Hydra is used as the scientific genus name and is, in that instance, incapable of pluralisation i.e. "..we observed a colony of Hydra viridis...."
 * But we also must accept that the name is widely used as a common name and as such Hydras is an acceptable pluralisation in English (both British English and American English). What is unacceptable is Hydrae because that makes all sorts of assumptions about the derivation of the scientific name and the rules of grammar surrounding it in its native language. Even if a scientific name was indubitably derived directly from a Latin name of which the plural was known the Latin plural would not be used as the pluralisation of common names still follows the pluralisation rule of the language within which it is quoted. Thus, for example, Octopuses and not Octopae.  Velela  Velela Talk 19:16, 24 June 2009 (UTC)
 * According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "octopi" and "octopodes" are both valid alternatives. Well, "valid" in that they have been used widely enough to warrant inclusion in the OED, which doesn't imply any kind of etymological integrity. The pluralisation rules of the English language seems to be more like what you'd call guidelines than actual rules. :P Anyway, the OED didn't have much on hydras/hydrae. Apparently, those lazy Romans and Greeks never saw the need to pluralise it themselves, seeing that there was only one Hydra and it was already dead. Does anyone know of a nice juicy reference on this? Personally, I propose that "hydra" should be the plural, the singular being "hydroth". 62.44.228.229 (talk) 22:42, 4 February 2013 (UTC)


 * Noting my previous comments above, I would propose that we retain Hydra as the singular and use Hydribus as the 3rd declension ablative plural of a Greek noun in Latin . If we can't make a case for the ablative (by with or from Hydras) and have to stick to the boring Nominative case, then I am afraid we are stuck with Hydra again as the plural and unremarkably Hydra as the singular too. Ho hum.  Velella  Velella Talk  22:56, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

Schematic drawing error
The schematic drawing of the nematocyst is incorrect for the following reason: When triggered, the content of the cell is everted (like blowing the fingers out of an inverted rubber glove). The barbs that are shown to shoot out in the third part of the drawing should remain stationary, while the thread everts through the barbs. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.224.135.45 (talk) 18:32, 18 October 2009 (UTC)

Paragraph removed
I removed the following paragraph from the Morphallaxis section, because I have searched for hours, but I have not been able to find a single reliable source for the claims made therein. At the end, I added some claims from other sources that sported claims not noted in this article, but which stated that their source was this Wikipedia article. The actual text I removed is in bold print (to include the text within the Citation needed template that is colored green):

"Nineteenth-century biologists reported that the Hydra was such a simple animal that it was possible to force one through gauze to separate it into individual cells; if the cells were then left to themselves, they would regroup to form a hydra again. This experiment has not been repeated successfully in the 20th or 21st centuries; the remains of the hydra do not reform - all that is produced is "hydra soup". A similar experiment with sponges has been more successful; however, the cells produced will grow into new sponges instead of regrouping to form the original individual."

That text should remain on this talk page and not reintroduced to the article until a reliable source(s) can be found.– Paine ( Climax !) 03:29, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

Controversy
Quote: "The controversial unlimited life span of Hydra has attracted the attention of natural scientists for a long time."

So, it seems there's a controversy about the senescence of the hydra. I found nothing about it neither in the article nor elsewhere on the net. Can somebody tell more about that controversy? And if there is a controversy, I don't understand why the article takes an one sided position stating adamantly immortality, only immortality, nothing else but immortality.

And, by the way, I saw on the net a careless confusion between very long age and immortality. I don't understand why that difference is minimalized or even ignored. It's of a huge importance.Srelu (talk) 02:35, 9 April 2016 (UTC)


 * What you found and didn't find while doing your do diligent research appears to answer your question: the article content can only include what already exists in published, reliable, and hopefully secondary sources. Anything else would be original research. Which, it would also appear, may already be in the article anyway, since the article mentions controversy that apparently can't be verified to be discussed in any other place but here..

Cheers Firejuggler86 (talk) 05:55, 30 April 2020 (UTC)
 * And the "life cycle" section doesn't explain anything about hydra death. Do they die of old age? Or do they die only due to external factors like starvation, dehydration, poisoning, being eaten, etc.? ~Amatulić (talk) 01:35, 25 July 2016 (UTC)


 * Most Hydra in temperate climates die at the onset of winter, probably through starvation, but leave behind the sexually produced resting eggs which hatch in the spring.  Velella  Velella Talk  09:10, 25 July 2016 (UTC)

dimensions not mentioned
Schematic drawing of a discharging nematocyst / add size info, this is an encyclopedia, it is VERY important to mention the size!!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:587:410F:8100:7006:1E3A:DCA4:BE2C (talk) 13:58, 14 June 2016 (UTC)


 * How about at Cnidocyte where there is a diagram and an electron micrograph showing the size under magnification?  Velella  Velella Talk 19:56, 16 June 2016 (UTC)

Morphallaxis
I have added three additional sentences to this section, however, I feel that more should be described on the regenerative abilities of Hydras.--Mhedelund2017 (talk) 00:25, 28 January 2019 (UTC)


 * This is the page I am working on for my Development Biology Spring 2019 course. Mhedelund2017 (talk) 21:26, 31 January 2019 (UTC)

Hydras can they live on himans
Iam a 51 year old women. Something which I believe could be a hydra has infested my hair, gums, my digestive system. I cant get any help from doctors at the va loma Linda,ca. With all Seriousness this is not a Joke and I need Help. Something is seriously wrong. I've been dealing with this for 5 years and it taken it destroying me it a viscous 3bweek cycle that I've endured month after month to years Alway the same I dobt know how I've lasted  this long. If anyone can direct this to anyone who can save me please do 2603:8001:4800:B6:C1E8:D8D0:45C0:25E3 (talk) 08:57, 8 December 2021 (UTC)


 * Sorry, but Wikipedia never offers medical advice. For the record Hydras only live underwater.  Velella  Velella Talk 09:06, 8 December 2021 (UTC)

Biology
Hydra definition,sponges cporifera,habitat and nutrition 41.191.107.218 (talk) 23:40, 8 February 2022 (UTC)
 * I don't understand. If you are suggesting sections this article is missing yes Definition is only briefly given in the introduction and could be expanded; no sponges/Porifera are a different taxon; Habitation and Nutrition could be added here if there are common characteristics among Hydra. Invasive Spices (talk) 9 February 2022 (UTC)