Date Posted:15:54:37 05/26/03 Mon Author: AnitPaul Subject: Silica (Any chemistry majors out there?) In reply to:
IDAHO
's message, "But how does the worm metabolize that?" on 14:17:12 05/26/03 Mon
IDAHO:
I'll take my best shot. This is all speculation but for the oxygen reference. The worms produce oxygen as a byproduct. (Frank) Frank was well versed in the physical sciences. He wanted to write an ecological novel about how energy moves and is bound into an ecological system. This was such an excellent part of the 1st three books. (My big gripe with the miniseries was that lack of ecological story).
White sand is mostly silica (Si02)or Limestone (calcium carbonate) Maybe the silica is split/combined with something else to produce O2, Spice, and other stuff.
The sandtrout encapsulate water and bind it into the soil. What do they do? Has anyone looked through the books on the question of Worm biology? Has anyone actually seen a worm go to the bathroom? Our earthworms are great for gardens because they eat soil, and excrete soil making the soil aerated and with more nitrogen.? My guess is that this Earth/Arrakis worm/Worm analogy was no accident by Frank.
So my answer on how Worms metabolize sand? I don't relly know.
