Our planet, the Earth, is the home of hundreds of thousands of living creatures. Life has permeated everywhere. It has ascended to the tops of the highest mountains, where there is hardly any air, and has hid­den beneath the expanses of the oceans, reconciling itself to the tremendous pressures exerted by the waters. Life has come to the hot, arid desert; and to the eternal ice of the Arctic Living creatures have adapted themselves to an absence of oxygen, to ever­lasting gloom, and to silence. But, wherever living organisms have settled, they need food which has to be distributed throughout their bodies, and they have to carry out the processes of metabolism. They also need to feel at home in their environment and start families to ensure the survival of the species.This book will tell you about Nature’s amazing inventions which have made it possible for animals to po­ pulate our Earth, dealing as it does with live lanterns, radars, animal power stations, the mysteries of digestion, the automatism of the circulation of the blood, which is the body’s most perfect transportation system, the structure of photo- and audio-receptors the mysterious third eye, the secret workings of thebrain, and the peculiarities of reproduction.Man has barely started to become familiar with Nature’s ingenious fantasy, but he is already getting to grips with the process of evolution and making usi of all Nature’s treasures and inventions. The aim o this book is to call the reader’s attention to the endless horizons of the science of living beings.The book was published in 1973 and was translated from the Russian in Oleg Meshkov. Contents ContentsWater - A Personal OceanThe Substance to Which Our Planet Owes Its Existence  7 ‘Live’ Water 11 Dead W ater 16 How Much Do We Weigh? 19 Crocodile Tears 22 Do Fish Drink? 26 Can the Air Be Squeezed Dry? 28 The Water Manufactory 32Construction MaterialsLucullus’ Feats 37 Teeth Which ‘Crawl’  48 A Thousand-year-old Mystery Solved 55 What Do Cows Eat? 59 There Are Different Kinds of Pans 64 The Food Industry 73 The ‘Health Stores’ of Nature  79VentilationA Vital Element 91 Supply Department  93 Diving Suits and Aqualungs 103 In Search of Oxygen 108 Slag and Ballast 120Thousands of Millions of CarriersIt Just Dare Not Get Tired 129 Waves  142 Hydraulics 152Where Can One Get Some Firewood? 157The Fire-birdJust Like a Fairy-Tale 176Solving the Mystery 182 Living Lanterns 186 The Fire-bird Serves Man 193Live ElectricityHistorical Highlights 195 The Metal Conductor and the Nerve 200 An Underwater Electric Power Station 206 Locators and Oscillographs 213Information ServiceThe All-purpose Antenna 218 Where Did It All Come From? 221 A Third Eye 230 The Wonderful World of Light 236 Whispering Planet  252A Personal RefrigeratorA Strange Gland 268 The Functions of the Brain Convolutions 272Delay Spells Death 277 When One Is Crazy about Frenchmen 287 The Speculations and Doubts of Scientists 293 A Courageous Deceiver 298 The Blues  301 The Racial Problem  304Storks and CabbagesWhy Does It Always Take Two? 309 Marriage and Family 314 Two Sources 324 The Request of the Enamoured Salmacis 332 Innocent Conception 336 How Many Chicks Can Hatch From One Egg? 341