Hobbies And Interests
Composition
Pond scum is made of unicellular algae that create long visible filaments. These filaments further combine with trapped air to form a slushy mat that looks like wet wool. The mats, also called scrums, often float to the surface, creating large fields of algae. This type of blue-green algae is also referred to technically as cyanobacteria.
Location
The scum can be found in nearly every habitat on the Earth, including oceans, lakes, ponds, fountains, bare rocks and even soil. Thousands of varieties of algae form the different pond scum mixes available around the world. The University of Texas, for instance, houses the world's largest collection of pond scum, which includes samples of 3,000 algae types, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2009. That represents more genetic diversity than all the botanical gardens and zoos in the world put together, the collection's director, Jerry Brand, boasted in the WSJ report.
Properties as an Alternative to Fossil Fuel
Scientists are researching the use of pond scum as a solution to humans' dependence on fossil fuels. The idea is to use algae in pond scum to process solar power into biofuel. This method would harvest algae, convert it into oils and process the oils into fuel that is usable in cars and trucks.
Medicinal Properties
Until recently, the medical applications of pond scum algae was mainly reduced to omega-3 dietary supplements; however, researchers from the University of Illinois are looking into the cancer-inhibiting properties of algae. The goal of the research is to find naturally occurring anticancer compounds that can substitute and improve on chemotherapeutic methods. Algae contains key cellular targets that are used in the metabolism of the cell and to which cancer is known to be particularly sensitive.