The flow is lava: Craters of the Moon National Monument, in southern Idaho, is made up of acres of black lava stone.  Thousands of years ago lava flowed from volcanic eruptions, forming craters, cinder cones, and lava tubes.–discoverwalks.com

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

Do you ever look at the moon on a starry night? We stare at the moon often in our lifetime. It always looks like a face is looking back. But what looks like parts of a face are actually craters on the moon’s surface. Have you ever wanted to walk on the moon? Only a very few people have had the privilege to do this.

Recently, I heard of a place where you can walk on the “moon”! Well, OK, it is not exactly the moon, but it sure looks and feels like it! If you don’t live in Idaho, you may never have heard of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. This is a protected area that is roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island that has caves, tunnels and hiking loops.

Three lava fields can be found here. The largest lava field—in the monument and in the continental United States—is the Craters of the Moon lava field. It is made up of about 60 lava flows and 25 volcanic cones that cover 618 square miles (1,600 square kilometers). One of the lava flows is called the Blue Dragon because of its unique blue color.

Another interesting feature of this preserve are the different types of caves formed here. The three most common types are lava tubes, fissure caves and weathered caves.

There are more than 500 known caves, and more are discovered every year. The most common type is the lava tube. The lava tubes were formed when the outside of a lava flow cooled, but the molten river continued to flow on the inside. The lava flowed for miles underground until the source was cut off. This left an empty space. Visitors to the monument can hike to four lava tube caves. Indian Tunnel is the largest of these tubes. It is 30 feet (9 meters) tall and 800 feet (244 meters) long. 

The other kinds of caves at Craters of the Moon were either formed in the deep cracks of the Great Rift (fissure caves) or formed when volcanic materials were hollowed out by wind, rain, and frost - these are considered the weathered caves. Today, many of these caves provide refuge for bats and other wildlife.

The Great Rift has some of the deepest open cracks on Earth, reaching down 800 feet (240 m). You can see almost every type of basaltic lava here. There are also cool features like tree molds (holes left by trees burned by lava).

Some of us may never get the chance to go to this extra special place, but if we exercise our faith, we all have a chance to be friends with the One who created the whole universe! And one day, Jesus Himself will come to bring us home to Heaven to live with Him!

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thess 4:16-17 NKJV

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Committed Crustacean: Barnacles are living organisms that attach themselves to rocks, boats, and even whales. They secrete one of the strongest known natural glues, and once they attach to an object, they never move again. –oceanconservancy.org

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

The ocean is a very special place! One of the more interesting lifeforms in the ocean is called the barnacle. You may have seen barnacles on docks, boats or even whales. They can also be glued to turtles, crabs and other sea creatures as well. They are considered crustaceans.

Crustaceans are a group of animals that include crabs and shrimp; small creatures with a shell that live in the sea. Barnacles are covered with hard plates made of calcium carbonate (what sea shells are made of), which is like a natural shell.

There are more than 1,000 known species of barnacles that live in shallow and tidal waters around the world. Many species of barnacles are small, but some of them can grow as large as 7cm (almost 3 inches).

Cyprid have a mission to find a good surface to settle and cement itself on. It attaches itself to its new spot by its antennas. Within 12 hours of attachment, a mature barnacle with a shell is produced.

Barnacles have two distinct larval stages, the nauplius and the cyprid. The first larval stage of barnacles is called the nauplius, which spends its time floating wherever the wind, waves, currents, and tides may take it while eating and molting.

There are extensions on their head that help with their movement and they usually have one eye. This lasts for about two weeks until the second stage is reached.

The second larval stage of barnacles is called the cyprid. In this stage, the nauplius metamorphosizes into a non-feeding organism which swims more strongly than nauplius.

Barnacles are sessile, which means once they find that one place, they never move again. This is when they secrete a natural, super-powerful glue (like cement) that keeps them held on to their new home. Their ideal home choice would be one where the water often flows or covers them and brings them all sorts of food through the waves and tides. 

Considered omnivores, its (their) diet is based on plankton and algae. Barnacles feed themselves using the 6 pairs of feather-like feet called “cirri”. Cirri are not only used for feeding, but also used by barnacles to breathe.

Depending on the species, they can live from 10 - 20 years. Even after they die, the “shell” will continue to stay stuck. Barnacles can be pink, yellow, orange, green, brown, black, white, cream, or covered with stripes. The color of the body matches with the colors of the habitat and provides camouflage helping to keep them safe.

Barnacles are amazing in all the phases of their lives. Let's be like a barnacle and never let go of Jesus! Let's keep His promises from the Bible always in our hearts!

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What’s your hurry: Sloths move so slow - an average of 0.15 miles (0.24 kilometers) per hour - that algae often grows in their fur. The algae helps them appear as part of the forest foliage, protecting them from predators. –animalhype.com

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

One of the cutest looking creatures, I think, is the sloth. They always seem to be smiling! However, they may also be one of the more dirty looking animals. Did you know that sloths move so slowly that algae has a chance to grow on them?! It’s true! 

Their gray, tannish hair is rather long and it’s the perfect place for insects such as moths, beetles, and cockroaches to live. Because their hair also holds water, this causes algae and fungi to grow and thrive. This is perfect for the sloth, he doesn’t even have to climb very far for a tasty algae snack. But this is also why sloths can look greenish. However, it’s a great way to blend in to the foliage which helps protect them from their enemies.

There are two types of sloth, the two-toed sloth and the three-toed sloth, and they are classified into six different species. All sloths actually have three toes, but the two-toed sloth has only two fingers. 

Sloths are a medium-sized mammal. They can be 2 to 2.5 feet (0.6 to 0.8 meters) long and, depending on species, weigh from 8 to 17 pounds (3.6 to 7.7 kilograms). They are relatives to the armadillo and the anteater.

Two-toed sloths are slightly bigger and tend to spend more time hanging upside-down than their three-toed cousins, who will often sit upright in the fork of a tree branch. Three-toed sloths have facial coloring that makes them look like they're always smiling. They also have two extra neck vertebrae that allow them to turn their heads almost all the way around!

Sloths can be found in South and Central America’s forests mostly up in the trees. They do come down to the ground about once a week when they have to relieve themselves. Since they can’t walk, they move about slowly digging their front claws into the ground and dragging their bodies. However, this is when they are most vulnerable to being attacked by their main predators such as snakes, jaguars and the Harpy eagle. 

They only have their claws to defend themselves. If a predator does come around they turn from sluggish to slugger, biting fiercely, hissing, slashing with their claws, and shrieking.

So, what does a sloth eat? Well, mainly the tree buds, new shoots, fruit and leaves, of the Cecropia tree. Some two-toed sloths also eat insects, small reptiles, and birds.

The sloth is a home for insects and algae, and the algae helps keep the sloth more safe as it allows the sloth to blend in with the trees. All the creatures God created have their own unique qualities to benefit the others around them. Let’s see how we can benefit those around us today!

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10 NKJV

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Beautiful Jumble or Optical Confusion The kaleidoscope was invented in 1816 by Scottish scientist David Brewster. He named it after the Greek words kalos (beautiful), eidos (form), and scopos (watcher). It roughly translates as beautiful form watcher. www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-kaleidoscope-1992035.

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

One of my favorite toys as a kid was a kaleidoscope! I always thought they were the neatest things. You could make many “pictures” of beautiful colors and shapes just by turning a tube. I was fascinated with these and would spend many happy moments gazing into these cylinders.

Have you ever seen one? You may even have some at home! They remind me of the beautiful stained glass windows in churches. When the sun hits the window just right they light up the sanctuary with magnificent color!

So how does the kaleidoscope work? Most kaleidoscopes have a tube with mirrors and a cell at one end filled with loose, colorful pieces like glass or plastic beads. As you turn the tube, these pieces shift, and the pattern you see changes, making each view unique! 

Scottish scientist, David Brewster, came up with the idea as a scientific tool, but once they were made and sold they became all the rage in London and Paris. People couldn’t get enough of them, and they couldn’t be made fast enough.

In modern times many variations of the kaleidoscope have been produced. Some have decorated the outside of the tube turning them into a true work of art. Others have been created by using stained glass for the cylinder portion. These would be much more fragile, of course, and not the best use as a toy.

Some kaleidoscopes have a special cell filled with a thick liquid. The colorful pieces inside float and move slowly and gracefully as you gently tilt the kaleidoscope.

Wand kaleidoscopes were introduced around 1990. They have a clear, sealed tube attached to the kaleidoscope, which contains liquid and floating objects like glitter. As you move the wand, the objects drift past the mirrors, creating new patterns.

Some kaleidoscopes have a spinning wheel or carousel attached to their center. This wheel has shapes and colors that rotate into view, adding to the kaleidoscope's image. With modern technology, some kaleidoscopes now use computer software and digital cameras to create their patterns.

In the Catskills Mountains in southeastern New York, you can step into the world’s largest kaleidoscope, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1997! Built out of an old silo, it towers at 60 feet tall and is 37.5 feet in diameter! I have never been there, but it must be amazing.

Well, I am thankful that God created us to see colors and shapes and designs. In nature there are many creations that have shapes and designs. The next time you are out for a walk, look at a pinecone, or a snowflake. Can you see a pattern? Or when you are next in a grocery store, look at the side of a fresh pineapple. Do you see a pattern made out of shapes? You may even be inspired to draw and color your own shapes! Have fun!

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Speeding Sediment: The world’s longest documented underwater avalanche traveled for 1100 kilometers (683 miles) from the Congo Canyon to deep in the Atlantic Ocean. The Congo Canyon, which starts in West Africa’s Congo River, is a deep underwater valley - one of the largest and deepest submarine canyons in the world. - phys.org

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

Have you ever seen an avalanche? It can be kind of frightening even if you are at a safe distance. The only kind I‘ve seen are in pictures and hopefully that is all I will ever see!

There are different kinds of avalanches. For instance, a snow avalanche happens when huge amounts of snow and ice suddenly start sliding down from the mountain tops taking out trees, rocks, or anything in its path until it comes to a stop, burying everything under several feet of snow debris. Sometimes loud, sharp noises can echo off the mountain walls triggering the unstable layers of the snow pack to begin an avalanche. A large, fully developed avalanche can weigh as much as a million tons. It can travel faster than 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour!

Then there are land avalanches (typically called mudslides or landslides) where rain-soaked earth gives way, causing dirt, mud, rocks and trees to fall and sometimes houses to break apart and fall down mountains or cliffs and slip into valleys or rivers. These happen when we have been inundated with rain in a short amount of time, or it has rained for so many days that the dirt cannot hold the water anymore, causing mud and earth to give way.

But did you know these can also happen underwater?! Scientists have tried to record seismic activity (volcanic activity) deep in the ocean. And there is one place in West Africa’s Congo River where they were able to track the longest traveled avalanche yet!  

Imagine a big rock slide traveling for over 680 miles (1100 kilometers) before coming to a stop!  Just as a comparison, I used to travel from Collegedale, TN to Orlando, FL and that was about 500 miles. This avalanche went even farther than that, 683 miles - it was massive!

In January of 2020, scientists were able to collect instruments that they had placed back in October of the previous year to review data. They had placed the instruments in the Congo Canyon which starts in West Africa’s Congo River. This is a deep underwater valley - one of the largest and deepest submarine canyons in the world. 

When this avalanche happened between January 14-16, 2020, eleven of these sensors broke free from their moorings and traveled at up to 8 meters (about 26 feet) a second. The turbidity current traveled more than 1,100 km from the Congo River estuary to deep-sea, making it the longest avalanche of sediment ever measured on Earth. In two days, the flow reached an ocean depth of more than 4,500 m (over 14,750 ft).

The avalanche of sediment accelerated, increasing in speed from 5.2 meters (about 17 feet) per second in the upper reaches of the Congo Canyon to 8 meters (over 26 feet) per second as it reached the end of the channel, some 1,100 km from the coastline.

Unfortunately, ever since sin has entered this world, destruction seems pretty common. And we can see the powerful force of nature and natural disasters at times. We know that even the earth groans under the weight of sin. Romans 8:22-23 says, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that….we ourselves groan…eagerly waiting for the redemption of our body.”

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Delightful Bugs: Fireflies produce their light with almost 100% efficiency. The heat produced by a candle is 80,000 times greater than that given off by an equally bright firefly. –nwf.org

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

Have you ever been outside on a hot summer night and noticed twinkling lights flying around your head?  These are most likely lightning bugs! Fireflies! And they glow in the dark! A very fun thing to see in the summer. Their light can be yellow, orange, green, or blue.

Fireflies are actually from the beetle family, Lampyridae. There are over 2,000 different kinds of fireflies known around the world. They are considered arthropods, which are invertebrates. This means they lack a backbone, but have an outside shell called an exoskeleton. Fireflies use their light to talk to each other and to find a mate. When a possible mate sees the flashes, it returns the signal. 

So, what makes these tiny flying creatures glow? Great question! Fireflies make light through a special chemical reaction called bioluminescence. This happens in special light-producing organs, usually on the lower part of their abdomen (belly). They make light by mixing chemicals with oxygen from the air. 

Here's how it works: An enzyme called luciferase mixes with a chemical called luciferin. This reaction also needs magnesium ions, ATP (which is like energy for cells), and oxygen. When these combine, they create light! But it is also a toxic, distasteful chemical defense. If you catch a firefly you may notice droplets of this thick, white substance seeping out from their bodies. Not too many things eat fireflies as a result. Believe it or not, it could take as few as 20 fireflies to provide a fatal dose of luciferin to an adult human! Always ask an adult first, and then wash really well after handling anything in the wild.

Fireflies retire into the ground during the day. At night, they tend to flock to dark, open areas where their lights can be the most noticeable. The best time to see them is in the later evening hours on dry summer nights.

Like other beetle species, their life cycle can be divided into 4 distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. While not all species light up as adults, they all glow during the larval stage, and some even glow as eggs! 

Like many insects, fireflies spend most of their lives as larvae, hiding in the leaf litter or underground during the daylight hours and prowling for prey at night. You can often see their soft glow on the ground in moist areas after dark. (For this reason they are often referred to as glow worms.) They typically overwinter in the larval stage and complete their metamorphosis the following year. An individual adult firefly lives for only about 3-4 weeks.

Some fireflies can even flash their lights all at once, in unison! This is called synchronization. It happens a lot with tropical fireflies, especially in Southeast Asia. Along river banks in Malaysian jungles, thousands of fireflies flash at the exact same time. In the United States, you can see this amazing sight every year in places like Elkmont, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains, and at Congaree National Park in South Carolina.

Did you know there is actually a time to celebrate these glowing beetles? It’s called World Firefly Day which is usually the first week of July. And in Japan, they even have special parks just for viewing fireflies!

John 1:7 says: “This man (speaking of John the Baptist) came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light (Jesus), that all through him might believe." Let’s all do our best to be like a firefly and spread the light of Jesus' love everywhere we go!

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Don’t harass the armadillos - Screaming hairy armadillos inhabit parts of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Able to go without water for long periods of time, they’ll emit a loud squealing noise if threatened.--nationalzoo.si.edu

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

When I think of animals that squeal, the usual ones that come to mind are pigs. They are pretty common in the United States. You will find them on a lot of farms. But today, we will find out about an armadillo that squeals when they feel threatened. Apparently, they are quite hairy as well!

These armadillos are actually called Screaming Hairy Armadillos. They have the usual armor-looking, tough shell to help protect them. Their shell, called a dorsal shield, has 18 bands, and six to eight of these bands can move. This is how they are able to roll in a ball shape to help protect their soft side from predators.

If a predator does come and try to carry them away, they will cry out or squeal, sounding very much like a loud, crying newborn baby. This sometimes confuses their enemy and they will drop the prey. At that point, the armadillo knows to race towards its nearest burrow and seal the entrance!

These armadillos also have hair! But this particular variety has longer hair on their back and in greater quantity than most species. This might be because of where they come from. From low lands to high mountains, you can find them in parts of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. They favor dry forests, shrublands and grasslands, and hot, temperate deserts.

One of the smallest species of armadillo, the males range from about a foot to a foot and a half in length. They weigh about 1.2 - 2.9 pounds. Whereas the females are smaller at a range of 10-16.5 inches in length and weigh about 0.6 - 2.5 pounds, depending. Even though they are smaller than most of their cousins, they have larger ears than most.

They inhabit dry areas with soft dirt so they can burrow and build their homes. They will often build under shrubs and bushes, and when they are in their burrows, they will usually seal the entrance. But don’t worry, they often have many entrances!

The armadillo is an omnivore, so it eats animals and plants. Their menu might include insects, lizards, frogs, birds, rodents, and different plants, depending especially on the season. 

Now these animals look cute and fun, and they are very special. But we must always be very careful with wild animals.  According to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens Facebook page, Armadillos are the only known animal to carry the disease of Leprosy, or bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. That’s why you always want to get an adult/parent’s permission before petting any wild animal, and always wear gloves for safety. Afterward, always wash really well with soap and water, too!

Psalm 104:24 says: “"O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions."

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Here’s to Ears: Ears are as good an identifier for someone as their fingerprints–even for identical twins. Each person’s ears are distinct both from their genes, and from distinctive features acquired throughout their lives.--phys.org

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

You are unique! There is only one of you in all the earth. That’s right! No one else has all your specialness wrapped up in one package that is you!

Now, I have heard people say that each of us has a twin out there somewhere. A doppelganger. A person who looks exactly like us. Some people have even met their doppelganger. And with today’s technology working with genetics, I would venture to say that if these people got tested, they may find they are in fact related. Perhaps, a long, lost cousin they never knew they had! However, no one else has the exact distinctness of another person. The Lord has created each of us with our own individuality and uniqueness.

Over the years we have found out fascinating things about the human body. Take fingerprints, for example, no two are alike; no two fingerprints, no two toe prints! Prints can have three main characteristics: Loops, Whorls and Arches. 

Somewhere along the line, someone thought this was a good way to identify people. And in 1892, Juan Vucetich was the first to successfully use  fingerprint identification to solve a murder case in Argentina. Police departments the world over have collected and stored the prints of criminals ever since.

Using biometrics and forensics for identifying the dead, confirming living people’s identity, and even solving criminal cases has grown over the years. In the more recent past, it has been found that the use of dental records, facial recognition, palm prints, and iris scans, as well as tattoos, scars and birth marks are also very helpful.

Today, new research for identification purposes is being done using the ear. Have you had a chance to look at your ears? Have you ever noticed how one ear is different from the other? The shape isn’t exactly the same for both, or one lobe may be longer than the other. Each individual characteristic of the ear helps to make a unique record of identification.

Our ears are fully formed at birth. However, as we age they continue to grow slowly, but unless you have an accident or intentionally change them with plastic surgery, they don’t change much. 

With the use of a new technology called “Image Ray Transform”,  beams of light shine on the tubular features of the outer ear, creating an image from the way light reflects off the ear’s curves. By repeating this process thousands of times, a clear image of the ear is formed. Subsequently, these curves are translated into a series of numbers that can be used as an identification tool. This is said to have a 99.6% measurement of accuracy. 

“There’s real power in using the appearance of an ear for computer recognition, compared to facial recognition. It’s roughly equivalent if not better,” said computer scientist Kevin Bowyer of Notre Dame, who is pursuing his own ear-recognition technology. “If you’ve [only] got a profile image for someone, this is a great way to use it.” Only the future will tell how much this will help advance the way we can identify people.

Psalm 139:13-14: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Why “laser” was the winner: Lasers are devices that concentrate beams of light by forcing their waveforms and frequencies to align. The word laser is short for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.  It would be more accurate to say “light oscillation” instead of “amplification”, but that would make the name “loser”.--pcmag.com

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

Lasers - they’re everywhere! And they help us in so many ways!   

First of all, what are they? They are devices that concentrate beams of light by forcing their waveforms and frequencies to align. 

Lasers work by stimulating atoms or molecules to emit photons (particles of light). This process is called stimulated emission. The light emitted by a laser is also monochromatic, meaning it is of a single color or wavelength, making it highly predictable and controllable. 

Some examples of lasers are: laser pointers, optical testing, and spectroscopy, to name a few. Some are used for taking precise measurements, or cutting materials, to determine what things are made of, and even in different medical treatments.

Have you ever been in the classroom and your teacher pointed to the board with a long rounded stick to emphasize a point? If so, you are probably my age. But if you are younger, your teacher probably used a small clicker device that, when pointed to the board or screen directed a small beam of light, usually red, to emphasize what they were teaching. This device is known as a laser pointer. Today, many people use these to entertain their pets. More accurately, the pets end up entertaining their humans when said pets chase the small red beam of light around in circles. Warning: When using a laser of any kind, do not shine it directly in anyone's eyes as it can cause damage. Use these carefully.

Theodore Maiman made the first laser operate on May 16, 1960, at the Hughes Research Laboratory in California, by shining a high powered flash lamp on a ruby rod with silver-coated surfaces. Since that time, we have come up with many useful ways to harness the power of these singular beams of light.

Do you ever go to the grocery store or the library with your parents? If so, you have probably seen the scanners that help you check out the groceries or books. Not all, but many scanners use laser technology to read bar codes or other information. The information from the bar codes tells the computer which groceries you are buying or which books you are checking out. And this helps the computer keep track of how low the store’s inventory is on certain items and when to order more. Also, it can help the library computer know which books are still left for other people to check out, and when all the checked out books are due back. 

Some lasers are so powerful, their light beam can actually cut materials like wood, metal or plastic. Also, there are lasers that can be used to do medical procedures when an actual operation would do more damage. One of these medical lasers is called a Gamma Knife. This is a radiation treatment device for the brain and upper spine.

The laser is a powerful tool! It reminds me of our all-powerful Savior who says of Himself, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12  

Be sure to stay connected to the Light of life, who is Jesus our Savior!

Keep exercising your faith!

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Precious Blood: Your “blood type” is determined by what antigens are present in it. The rarest blood type in the world is called “Rh null”--or the golden blood type. Identified in fewer than 50 people worldwide, it can be donated to anyone – but someone with golden blood can only receive transfusions of their own ultra-rare blood type. –medicinenet.com

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

Disclaimer: Most people have no problem talking or reading about this subject. However, there are about 15% of people who faint at the sight of blood. So, if you are one of those people who get queasy even reading about it, you may want to pass on this one.

Blood – our vital life force; without it we cannot survive. Among other things, it carries oxygen (what we breathe) throughout our bodies, helps us fight off disease and helps our body heal itself. That’s why, down through the years, medical scientists have figured out how to collect, define types, store and provide blood transfusions to those in need.

If we were to break down the different parts of our blood, we would have red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.  Red blood cells are the food delivery trucks and trash trucks of our body. With the help of the flowing plasma, they deliver oxygen (food) to all organs, and then they pick up carbon dioxide (trash) and bring it to our lungs to exhale out.

The white blood cells are like soldiers, they defend our bodies from anything dangerous like germs and infections. Imagine some germs floating by or you have a cut, the white cell soldiers gang up on the bad guys and destroy them so they are no longer a threat. 

Then, there are the platelets, these help our body to heal if we get a cut or open wound. They group together to stop up the bleeding, and they cause a scab to form until the healthy tissue can be built up again.

Lastly, plasma which is the main liquid that keeps things flowing. This yellowish fluid is mostly made up of water, but it’s also packed with nutrients, hormones, and proteins.

Red blood cells have sugars and proteins known as Rhesus (Rh) factors called antigens on their surface membranes. Blood is classified as being either "Rh positive" (meaning it has Rh factor) or "Rh negative" (without Rh factor).   

Each red blood cell has up to 342 antigens on its surface. These antigens belong to 35 blood group systems, of which the ‘Rhesus’ system is the largest with 61 antigens. And it’s the absence of certain antigens that determines a person’s blood type.

Most people have some type of Rhesus antigens. However, there are those rare few who have no Rh antigens in their blood. The rarest blood type in the world is called “Rh null”--or the golden blood type. With its complete lack of Rh antigens, it can be accepted by anyone with a rare blood type within the Rh blood system. So far, it has been identified in fewer than 50 people worldwide, making it invaluable!

Usually blood donors remain anonymous, however, if someone with this type of blood should donate they will automatically become very famous to the science world! Right now, there is never enough of this type of precious liquid for research. The more doctors can learn about this newest blood type, the more people they can help and save.

This reminds me of another Person who has very special blood - Jesus. Do you know the song, “There is Power in the Blood”? It’s so true! There is great saving power in the blood of Jesus. We can all be thankful for Jesus’ eternal, life-giving blood no matter what blood type we are!

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain