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3840 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
A new brain study suggests that autism starts before birth
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Autism may start during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, a new study showed. The researchers found patches of altered brain cells in the frontal and temporal cortexes of children with autism, important brain areas for social interaction and language. Although the scientists still have to figure out what causes these patches of brain cells, genetic factors and conditions inside the womb could be the culprits.
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3099 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Stress alters children's DNA
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Stress affects children too. Children who grow up in stressful situations have shorter telomeres, an early sign of genetic ageing that makes them vulnerable to diseases such as cancer. Telomeres shrink when cells divide, but when they get too short, the cell can’t divide and dies.
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2084 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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10291 |
ehd123 |
9 years ago |
Speedy bacteria
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Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a bacterium that attacks other bacteria. It can charge its prey at speeds of up to 100 micrometers per second, comparable to a human running 600 kilometers per hour. It then bores into its hapless victim by spinning at 100 revolutions per second. Most bacteria aren't quite that fast, but they can move by whipping flagella or by spiraling through their environment. ...
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14258 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Watch these white blood cells destroy this roundworm
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White bloods cells, known scientifically as leukocytes, are immune system cells that fight infect. The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body. Sometimes our bodies encounter pathogens like bacteria, or in this case a parasitic worm. Roundworms, or nematodes, are parasites that can infect people by living and feeding in the intestines. There are different kinds of worms that can cause infection, and they can range in length from 1 millimeter to 1 meter. Luckily, this worm was no challenge for these hungry white blood cells. ...
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5094 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Here's why your hair will eventually turn gray
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As soon as we're born, we're destined to age. Some of us age gracefully - we enjoy years of youthfulness - while others experience hair loss, wrinkles, and greying earlier than expected. Found in the core of each hair, a pigment known as melanin gives rise to a person's hair color. This universal pigment is also found in our skin and eyes, giving use our unique physical traits. Dark and light versions of melanin - eumelanin and phaeomelanin, respectively - combine in various combinations to create all natural hair colors. Melanin itself is the product of a specialized cell, the melanocyte, which is found in each hair follicle, from which the hair grows. As hair grows, the melanocyte injects melanin into the hair cells, which contain the s ...
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9489 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Drug-resistant bacteria are no match for this newly discovered compound
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Researchers have discovered a new compound, named 'darwinolide', inside an Antarctic sponge, Dendrilla membranosa (above, middle), that has shown to kill 98.4 percent of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cells it comes in contact with. Lab tests so far suggest that it has a unique structure that allows it to penetrate the 'biofilm' that MRSA throws up to protect itself from treatments. The next step is to synthesise darwinolide in the lab, so they don't have to rely on extracting it from live Antarctic sponges. If the researchers are able to show that they can use darwinolide to fight MRSA in a clinical setting, it could save the lives of tens of thousands of people every years. Source: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac ...
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4068 |
bio_man |
7 years ago |
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