The wee ones...

While reading Mark Smith's “Animacules and Other Little Subjects” the words "wee ones" popped into my mind.  I also thought about Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the characters called the Oompa Loompas.  The animalcules as were named in 1674 are the little living things that are seen while looking under the microscope.  Animalcules may be microsopic but their size can be disceiving, most are little powerhouses and truly hold there own.  Compared to the Oompa Loompas which were also small in size but very important and vital to Mr. Wonka's chocolate factory.  The Animacules are important to the natural course of life, they serve an important role in the food chain.  I believe what attracts Smith to observe them in his spare time is the absolutely amazing way the smallest of organisms can play should important roles and simply exist and thrive.  I have looked at pond water under a microscope and it truly is a small universe living in just one drop of water, which reminds me of Orions Belt in the movie Men In Black.  A cat in the movie wore a collar and hanging on the collar was a small glass sphere that contain an entire galaxy, with all it's living organisms and creatures.

Smith uses many metaphors and very descriptive words to help the reader truly  visualize the actual organisms he sees in the microscope. Smith finds the smallest of objects to be as interesting to study as a scientist who may study any of animals on this planet.  I believe that the author's fascination with the microscope as a kid was the catalyst for his eventually fascination with the orgranisms that he could seeing while using one.  It truly is remarkable that the tiniest of living organisms can have the same systems that humans have such as a heart, and brain.  Smith sums up the one thing all the animalcules have in common is that they all eat, they eat all the time. I laughed at that, because even though they are the tiniest of organisms they can still woof it and chow down.