Monthly Archives: December 2017
Toucan Play That Game
Patterns of Inheritance
In this unit we learned about patterns of inheritance among humans and other living organisms. Basically inheritance patterns for single gene is classified based on whether they are autosomal or X-linked and whether they have a dominant or recessive pattern … Keep Reading
Origins of the Sexes
Have you ever wondered how we evolved into males and females? We live in a world where most organisms display sexual dimorphism- differentiating into two sexes- male and female. Throughout organisms, males are universally distinguished from females by their smaller … Keep Reading
Inherited Diseases Can be Masters at Hiding
Genetics do not only affect our lives, but it may also determine genes of relatives in future generations. HERDA, short for hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia is a genetic skin disease that is commonly found in American Quarter Horses. This … Keep Reading
Healthy Mitochondria Could Stop Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a disease caused by amyloid toxicity. Scientists are using bioinformatics and experimental approach to determine if “rendering mitochondria resistant to damage can halt this disease.”
Mosquit(N)o
Mosquitoes are beginning to resist insecticides that are used to prevent the spread of malaria in Africa and the disease is on the rise. Through the introduction of insecticide, and other preventative measures since 2000 in Africa, malaria has been … Keep Reading
How to Run a Two Hour Marathon
Currently, in the world of running, the last major barrier for humans to break is the 2 hour marathon. In May of 2017, Eliud Kipchoge came the closest any human has to breaking this barrier by running the marathon in … Keep Reading
New Alzheimer’s Medication: Hopefully It Will Work For Humans Too
Alzheimer’s has plagued humans for generations upon generations, but it seems that a reverse to the deterioration effects may have been discovered. The quantity of studies that reveal the APOE gene as a potential tool to halting the progress of … Keep Reading
The Wildlife of Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud
Southern Brown Kiwi (Apteryx australis)Image from Wikimedia Commons Aotearoa, better known as New Zealand, is home to some of the most diverse wildlife on earth. But, surprisingly, it has no native mammal, it is the home of birds. The most … Keep Reading
The Answer to Cancer?
Many people understand that cancer is a lethal disorder, but what many do not know is that tumors may hold the key to the future of cancer medicine. The very thing that cancer-stricken victims fear may be the solution to … Keep Reading
Who Said All Mutations Are Bad?
Genes are the basic units of heredity. With the DNA in these genes containing special instructions for cells, each organism’s unique traits or features are shaped by variations in these genes. These variations of the gene, called alleles, are caused … Keep Reading
Is There a Muscle Speed Limit?
Animals such as bats, birds, and rattlesnakes can communicate and locate their surroundings using their superfast muscles, the fastest muscle in vertebrates. Through evolution, animals have molded their muscles to move at any speed which is why some animals move … Keep Reading
Waves in the Brain
Neural oscillations or mostly commonly known as brainwaves are something every living thing produces during their entire lifespan. Brainwaves are repetitive neural activity in the nervous system; they are measured by speed in the brain. They are the roots of … Keep Reading
How Stem Cells Are Helping Athletes Recover from Injuries Faster
A stem cell is a cell that has the ability to develop into many different types of cells in the body during early life. All stem cells have three properties: they are capable to divide for longer periods than regular … Keep Reading
Supermales: The Next Supervillain?
Supervillain may be a bit of an exaggeration, but many have wondered if so-called “supermales” exhibit aggressive behavior that causes them to be more likely to engage in criminal activity. But first, a crucial question must be answered: what is … Keep Reading
Type 1 Diabetes Can Be Cured in No Time!
Currently, researchers announced that they are approaching closer to the curing of type 1 diabetes. They claimed that they have developed a method that is able for turning embryonic stem cells into beta cells. What is beta cells anyway? (Click … Keep Reading
