Guts, from the Latin galla, is a term with multiple uses. It can be the round excrescence that forms in certain trees and shrubs from the bite of some insects and from infections caused by microorganisms.
For example: “On the trunk of this oak, we can see the guts that reveal the attack of an insect”, “This tree has so many guts that it has lost its original shape”, “The cork oak is characterized by its galls, which exhibits along its trunk ”.
Tree gills are extrusions that hang like fruit; In the case of oaks, in fact, they are called oak apples and they originate after the wasps lay their eggs inside their bark. The gills have a high value of tannic acid and have long been used for the manufacture of medicines in many parts of the world.
Although all oak guts appear by the action of the so-called gall wasp, they vary in shape, color and size. The larvae of this species force the oak to create substances and cells that generate the galls, which in turn are used by the former as a source of food and as a refuge. It is worth mentioning that usually do not pose a danger to the tree although its formation is an act of defense for its part, which explains its high content of astringent compounds ( it is believed that these guts are composed organic plant more astringent planet).
The medicine Chinese has the advantage as a remedy for, for example, hemorrhoids, ulcers and dysentery (infectious disease characterized by bloody diarrhea and bloody stool). In North America, on the other hand, Indians used them to heal various wounds, burns, and sores. Finally, some specialists recommend them to combat gonorrhea, diarrhea and cholera.
Outside of medicinal uses, the tannic acid of the gills makes them an ideal source for dyeing and tanning; various tribal groups have used them to create various types of ornaments and curing, to work leather, ceramics and to make basketry.
Since, in principle, guts arise as a protection by the oak tree against the action of wasps and their larvae, science has also been interested in its use as a natural pesticide. Researchers from the University of Mysore, in India, declared in 2009 that they had observed effective larvicidal activity in the fight against the mosquito species to which the spread of malaria in the urbanizations is attributed, the anopheles stephensi.
The gills are also the sides of the head of a bird, equivalent to the temples, the gills, or the tonsils: “If the fish is fresh, the gills should be reddish”, “It is a species of reduced gills and fins short ”, “ This disease attacks the gills of the fish ”.
In colloquial language, the use of the notion of guts is linked to audacity or bravery: “You have to have the guts to do something similar”, “The judge did not have the guts to respond to the victim’s father”, ” Without guts, the battle is lost.
Guts is also the name by which the main protagonist of Courage the Cowardly Dog is known in Spain, an animated series that in Latin America received the name of Courage the Cowardly Dog. Guts or Courage is a dog that is always scared, but that strives to save the lives of its owners from the attacks of monsters, aliens and other creatures. The series aired between 1999 and 2002, although its replays can still be seen.
