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The pursuit of scientific knowledge is relentless. New discoveries force us to examine what we believe. This is how our knowledge evolves. These eclectic articles are designed to connect your classroom experience to current scientific research in the news. As you read these articles, please use your textbook as a reference manual to review the scientific principles featured in these articles. Remember, "Science is an adventure and a puzzle." |
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12/2/2012 |
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) |
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The 2003 outbreak of SARS caused by the coronavirus killed 953 people. The new "cluster", five in Saudi Arabia and two in Qatar, killed five of the infected. This has put researchers on high alert. Read More About SARS |
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11/28/2012 |
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Our analysis of pork-chop and ground-pork samples from around the U.S. found that yersinia enterocolitica, a bacterium that can cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, was widespread. Some samples harbored other potentially harmful bacteria, including salmonella. And there are more reasons to be concerned about “the other white meat.” |
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11/17/2012 |
Parasitic Worm Eggs Ease Intestinal Ills by Changing Gut Macrobiota
Intestinal issues are not just for us humans. Whereas the inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) now afflicts some 1.4 million people in the U.S., a similar condition often besets captive monkeys. But these animals are providing new insights about a cure for this condition in both species—and that cure is worms. |
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11/16/2012 |
Farthest Known Galaxy in the Universe Discovered
A new celestial wonder has stolen the title of most distant object ever seen in the universe, astronomers report. The new record holder is the galaxy MACS0647-JD, which is about 13.3 billion light-years away. The universe itself is only 13.7 billion years old, so this galaxy's light has been traveling toward us for almost the whole history of space and time.
So what does this have to do with anatomy and physiology? Well, I guess one can make the argument that when our universe was formed it first created stars which created atoms which then formed abiotic molecules and eventually led to biologic macromolecules. Or you could just say that the universe is way too cool to ignore and if you are a curious soul then you need to know this stuff. Enjoy! |
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11/9/2012 |
Bath Salts: This "drug" which is legally sold over the counter to bothe children and adults is responsible for a sharp rise in abusive behavior and parental child neglect. Bath Salts effect the brain's dopamine system (i.e. the reward system of the brain) similar to cocaine, however. Bath Salts cause a 10X increase of the dopamine neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft by prohibiting reuptake. Bath Salts seem to come in and out of the marketplace often sold as some sort of a "house hold item". It is sold through party stores and gas stations often in our inner cities. Why does this happen? How can our government fail to address this issue?
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11/8/2012 |
Drug-Resistant Malaria on the Rise in Southeast Asia :
Malaria is a hemolytic disease caused by a parasite transferred into the human body by a mosquito. Throughout human history this parasite has caused millions of deaths each year. Drugs like chloroquine and pyrimethamine have been effective at controlling the disease, however. The parasites have recently developed resistance to these drugs. The last "cheap and effective drug" available to combat malaria are the artemisinin-based drugs. Now the parasites are also showing signs of developing resistance to these drugs too. (C18 & C21) |
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10/12/2012 |
Michrochimerism is a phenomena where fetal cells invade the mother's tissue during the pregnancy and persist for decades. We know this happens because if the fetus is a male then these cells have "XY" chromosomes! Furthermore, these cells are different genetically from the mother's cell type but they are not rejected by her immune system. This is a growing area of study which may help us learn more about autoimmune disease, tissue transfer, and the biological logic which guides our evolution. (C21) |
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10/18/2012 |
Fungal Meningitis: Fungi are primitive life forms with over 80,000 species. Fungi evolved more than 450 million years ago but they have more in common with us than they have with bacteria or plants because they are eukaryotic cells (i.e. cytoplasmic membranous organelles). Fungi also store their excess energy in the form of glycogen and not starch like a potato. Fungal Menigitis is an inflamation caused by a fungus. (C14)
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10/14/2012 |
House Representative Dr. Paul Broun, a physician and member of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology of the House of Representatives stated recently his belief. “There are a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young earth, ” Broun went on to say, “I believe that the earth is but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them.”
For the record, Mr. Broun is not a scientist. He is a physician but this does not make him a scientist by default. In light of all the "real scientific evidence", his comments can only be categorized as extremely stupid. What makes Mr. Broun comments more problematic and troublesome, is the fact that in his government position he will make critical decisions about government funding for scientific research. |
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10/4/2012 |
Mice Born from Eggs Produced from Stem Cells
Pluripotent stem cells and mature epithelial cells were used to create viable haploid cells. How may this change medical and ethical standards if these research techniques are used in humans? (C4) |
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9/18/2012 |
Birds Sound the Alarm on West Nile Virus
Evolution does not necessarily occur over thousands or millions of years. We can experience the consequences of an evolutionary trend in a virus within one or two years. This is what we are follwoing with the West Nile Virus. The genetic information has mutated recently and has resulted in a more deadly threat now centered in Texas. |
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9/16/2012 |
Cholesterol Confusion: Researchers Closer to Understanding Which Forms of Cholesterol Can Really Hurt Us
Just when we get everyone to understand that HDL is the good lipoprotein and LDL is the bad lipoprotein now they want to change everything! Once again, it seems like the facts are causing the problem. New research indicates that when a small molecule, apolipoprotein CIII is attached to HDL then the HDL becomes a higher risk factor than LDL. And if the CIII molecule is attached to LDL then it increases the risk factor of the LDL, making it even more dangerous. |
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9/15/2012 |
Human Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Gerbil Hearing
The promise of stem cell therapy seems closer to becoming a reality. It may still be years before the techniques are clinically available, but current research has demonstrated that stem cells can restore physiologic functions in several different experimental models. Hearing is just the latest success! |
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9/15/2012 |
Three Reasons Why "Junk DNA" Makes Evolutionary Sense
Junk DNA is believed to be "non-functional" because it is no longer transcribed into protein and it is believed to be ancient genetic code no longer needed by the "modern organism". The junk DNA is different than segments of DNA which may provide some sort of regulatory function. To support this idea, in an organisms like a bird, scientist can turn on some of this junk DNA to change the morphology of the modern organism (e.g. develop a bird embryo with "teeth" similar to dinosaur). Transcribing a gene dormant for 65 million years. Isn't science wonderful! |
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9/12/2012 |
Pig Flu Virus Strain Shown to Have Pandemic Potential
Viruses give us an opportunity to watch evolution take place in real time! A virus may use a host animal to "alter its genetic code" which may result in a virus that becomes more pathogenic and more likely to survive and be transmitted to new hosts. In the world of biology, I can not think of anything more scary than a virus. To learn more about how virus work, Click Here. |
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9/8/2012 |
Junk DNA Holds Clues to Diseases
Our textbooks tell us that most of the DNA in our nucleus is "non-coding" or "junk". However, nothing could be further from the truth as current research now shows us that these non-protein coding areas actually regulate the genes as to when and how much "protein" should be produced by genes (i.e. coding segments which are transcribed into mRNA and translated into protein). |
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9/7/2012 |
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In the September issue of Scientific American, Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University writes about how aspiring to overcome our evolutionary limits distinguishes humans from other creatures. For more on what makes humans unique—and how, in other ways, we're not alone—check out this video of a lecture he gave at Stanford a few years ago. (Note: Dr. Sapolsky received his PhD from Harvard University and he has been recongnized as a leading researcher as well as being recognized by student's at Stanford as "their favorite teacher"!) |
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9/6/2012 |
Biomarker Predicts Recovery from a Type of Depression
In C21 we learn about a protein, C-Reactive Protein, made by the liver and circulates in the blood in response to inflammation (i.e. general response to tissue damage). Now physciatrist beleve they can use C-Reactive Protein as a "biomarker" to model better outcomes for treating depression. |
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9/5/2012 |
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9/4/2012 |
DNA vs Genes vs Chromosomes (Video)
Scientific American editor Eric R. Olson untangles the relationship between the most fundamental components of our biology This video is very good. You need to watch it three times, yes it is that good! |
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9/1/2012 |
Shallow Water Blackout
An alarming number of experienced swimmers have drown in shallow water. This phenomena is associated with "breath holders" who practice holding their breath in the misguided belief that this will increase how long they can hold their breath underwater. This practice, often associated with hyperventilation, is actually putting them at greater risk of drowning! What are the mechanisms that control respiration? Where are these control centers located? |
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9/1/2012 |
The History of Our World in Two Minutes
This is not an article but a short video. It compresses 13.7 billion years into two minutes. It is accompanied by a powerful sound track. This too is appropriate because sound and an organism that evolved sensors to detect sound is part of this history. This also might stimulate you to ask: When did an organism first "hear sound"? or When did sound become language? Remember, science is an adventure! |
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9/1/2012 |
The Denisova Genome and Guys Banging Rocks
Meet Tim White, head of the Laboratory for Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, has discovered many of our ancestors, from the ancient Ardipithecus to the much more recent Homo sapiens idaltu. (See related article posted 8/31/2012) --- This article illustrates how a single mutation may alter a protein and the possible consequence that this may have on a species.
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8/31/2012 |
Pinky DNA Points to Clues About Ancient Humans (i.e.Denisovan)
It is truly amazing how scientists can extract DNA molecules from fossilized bones and sequence the genes of our ancient human ancestors. We can then use this information to trace human migration across the planet and much more. |
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8/30/2012 |
Mysterious New "Heartland Virus" Discovered in Missouri
Epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) rely on doctors to send them samples hoping to identify new diseases in order to control potential epidemics or pandemics. This article will give you insight on how this relationship works and the global nature of this enterprise required to control new diseases. |
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8/30/2012 |
Why Humans Give Birth to Helpless Babies
This article illustrates the central theme of our class, the unity of form and function in human physiology. In the article you can see how scientist form competing hypothesis and make their case to support their positions. |
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8/28/2012 |
Older Fathers Pass On More Mutations
This was first suggested in the 1930s but only now with genome sequencing we have data to support this belief. What is the fundamental difference between male and female gamete development that explains this phenomena? |
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8/27/2012 |
Bill Nye 'The Science Guy' Hits Evolution Deniers
Two other pillars of the scientific world once commented on this subject. Charles Darwin simply said, "Let people believe in what they want to believe in." Of course Darwin was the "father of evolution" and he made this statement when the concept of evolution was a new idea. He could not imagine some 150 years after his death that people would still be denying evolution. Albert Einstein lived in the mid 20th Century and was more circumspect in his statement about evolution. Einstein said that it is incumbent upon our religious and political leaders not to deny evolution and impede the progress of science. If you read the article, you will see why Bill Nye, like Einstein, understands what is at risk if myth confronts fact and myth wins. |
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8/11/2012 |
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8/11/2012 |
Diets of Early Homininds: Meat Eaters vs Vegetarians
You will be surprised to find out what you can learn from the analysis of a single tooth. This article presents an argument for why early hominind meat-eaters survived and their vegetarian vivals died. In other articles, authors have suggested that this was a period when brain size was expanding and a meat rich diet provided the fat necessary to build "a big fat-rich nervous systems" of the homosapiens. |
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8/10/2012 |
Boy, 9, Dies of Rare Amoeba Infection After Swimming in a Lake! This is a very sad story and a story that is becoming more common with global warming. This should make us think about the failure of our immune system. Other species, like the crocodile with an immune system which has evolved over 100 million years, can thrive in shallow muddy water rich in pathogens even with open wounds on their bodies. This is why we need to study the immune system of other animals. |
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8/10/2012 |
The Endocannabinoid System:
This article is more technical then most of the articles posted in this section, however. Many concepts and terms used in our course are also used in this article (e.g. second messenger systems, signaling molecules, arachidonic acid, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, eicosanoids, lipids, synaptic receptors, action potentials, homeostasis). So this article will give you an insight into the field of pharmacology and the methods used to advance our knowledge of physiology. |
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8/10/2012 |
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8/9/2012 |
Surviving the Teenage Brain - Video
On the Nature of Things with David Suzuki, this CBC-TV production explores the role of the dopamine system of the brain's limbic system which is involved in risk, reward, and motivation. In particular, the program looks at the role of the nucleus accubens as it is related to dopamine and how it shapes the development of the prefrontal cortex. The video explores similarities between all type of addictive behavior as well as romantic love. |
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8/8/2012 |
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8/8/2012 |
1) Dr. Fischetti - Bacterial Biofilms & Phage Lytic Enzymes (Video) |
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2) Microbiologist Use Viruses to Kill Bacteria
The United States developed antibiotics at the end of WWII and because of the cold war we refused to share this technology with the The Soviet Union. As a result, the scientist of the USSR took a different path to fight bacterial infection, they used phage (i.e. viruses). (Explains why swimming in a river can cure dreaded diseases because there are phage in the river!) How ironic it is now that our antibiotics are becoming ineffective in controlling some bacterial infections that we must now turn to Russia for answers on how to control our most resistant bacterial infections.( see Phage Therapy) |
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8/4/2012 |
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8/4/2012 |
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8/3/2012 |
New Diet Drugs vs Healthy Lifestyle / FDA Approves Diet Drugs with Known Serious Health Risks For a Nation at Crisis now with 70% of its Citizens Plagued by Weight Problem - Putting Corporate Profits (Drug Manufacturers & Food Industry) Before Sound Health Policy |
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8/2/2012 |
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7/27/2012 |
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7/20/2012 |
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7/19/2012 |
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7/18/2012 |
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7/15/2012 |
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7/15/2012 |
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7/12/2012 |
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7/10/2012 |
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7/6/2012 |
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7/1/2012 |
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7/1/2012 |
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6/29/2012 |
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6/27/2012 |
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6/20/2012 |
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6/18/2012 |
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6/15/2012 |
The Bonobo Genome:
New insight on ape traits (chimp, bonobo, and human) - Note: after reading this article, you will want to speculate about where in the brain the difference in ape behavior maybe rooted. |
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6/12/2012 |
Sleep Deprived? What’s going on in the brain during sleep deprivation to explain this behavior? |
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6/8/2012 |
Why is HIV so hard to kill? (video)
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has killed close to 30 million people since the epidemic emerged in the early 1980s. Scientific American editor Christine Gorman explains why HIV is so difficult for the body to fight and for doctors to treat. |
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6/6/2012 |
Do Plant Think?
This is a fascinating article which will force you to reflect about the common molecular heritage shared between the animal and plant kingdoms and how the function of these molecules evolved to perpetuate themselves in each kingdom.
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6/5/2012 |
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6/1/2012 |
Human Trials Planed!!! |
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Swiss-based scientists have made paralyzed rats walk again with injections of cell-binding chemicals into the damaged spinal cord, reawakening the rodent's so-called "spinal brain". Phase two trials on humans are planned for next year. ( Link to Video) |
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6/1/2012 |
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| 5/31/2012 |
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| 5/25/2012 |
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| 5/18/2012 |
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| 5/17/2012 |
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| 5/16/2012 |
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5/9/2012 |
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5/9/2012 |
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Update: 5/18/2012 Georgia Student to lose hands in battle to safe life. |
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Update: 7/1/2012 Georgia Student Released from Hospital. |
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5/8/2012 |
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5/4/2012 |
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