【英语时差8,16】迷人的单细胞生物（下）

If you saw one of these growing on the sea floor, you would think it was an aqueous plant, no different from any other type of seaweed. You would be wrong. Although Caulerpa has a complex structure with parts that look like leaves and stems and roots, and although it can grow to be over three feet long, it is actually a single cell. Caulerpa has only a single cell wall, surrounding the whole organism from the root tips to leaves. Within, the liquid of the cell flows freely. Structural¹ support comes from a series of microscopic² rods and microtubules, taking over the function of cell walls in multi-cellular plants. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Caulerpa is what it teaches us about life and evolution. It shows us that complex life does not need to evolve along only the lines we expect. Life can often surprise us!

1 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

2 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。