Regina's Biology Blog May 2008 Archive

Life restoration of a group of foraging azhdarchids. Photo Credit: Mark Witton We've all seen the images in movies like Jurassic Park. Giant pterosaurs flying around, snatching their ... Read More

The sense of taste is mediated by groups of cells called taste buds. Taste buds sample oral concentrations of a large number of small molecules and report a sensation of ... Read More

A monohybrid cross is a genetic cross using a single trait with two alleles. This cross can be done between two individuals that are homozygous for a single trait or ... Read More

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org Summer is right around the corner and you know what that means. It's grilling time. Before you put that meat on the grill, you may want ... Read More

The cerebral cortex is the layer of the brain often referred to as gray matter. The cortex is gray because nerves in this area lack the insulation that makes most ... Read More

Onion cell in Anaphase © The Entangled Bank Mitosis is a process of cell division in which the genetic material from a parent cell is divided equally between two ... Read More

Scientists have discovered a method for increasing natural killer cells that are found in umbilical cord blood. In studies, these cells were shown to decrease the number of human leukemia cells ... Read More

Image courtesy of MedValet The heart is the organ that supplies blood and oxygen to all parts of the body. It is about the size of a clenched ... Read More

Peroxisomes are microbodies that break down fatty acids and help detoxify substances in the body. They are found in eukaryotic cells and contain enzymes that produce hydrogen peroxide as a ... Read More

Scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have genetically sequenced the Steno bacterium. Steno is a quickly emerging hospital superbug that is extremely drug resistant. There are no known drugs capable of ... Read More

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org Researchers have discovered that the hormone ghrelin plays an important role in overeating by stimulating the brain's pleasure center. Ghrelin stimulates our appetite and also increases ... Read More

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown cancer causing gene. This gene, RBM3, also contains a protein with the same name. They are both important to the process of normal cell division. In ... Read More

Papillomavirus © Linda M. Stannard University of Cape Town At one time or another, we have all most likely been infected with a virus. For instance, colds and ... Read More

Studies have shown that eating too much fast food can lead to liver damage. A diet high in fat and sugar can cause serious diseases of the liver such as cirrhosis. However, ... Read More

Cilia and flagella are protrusions from some cells that aid in cellular locomotion. If the protrusions are short and numerous they are termed cilia. If they are longer and less ... Read More