Cell Biology – Page 55

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Cells Can Be Transformed

November 8, 2010

An astonishing feat has been performed in a Canadian lab: scientists turned human skin cells into blood cells. Bypassing the need for stem cells, the technique provides hope for a supply of blood from a person’s own skin. Live Science calls it a “modern miracle.” The technique avoids “the ethical concerns concerning embryonic stem cells […]

Amazing Facts

All Kingdoms of Life Have Ideas We Need

November 4, 2010

Inventors aren’t partial. They are willing to find inspiration in plants, animals, and microbes. Here are three examples showing that all kingdoms of life have great engineering ideas that researchers involved in biomimetics are seeking to understand. Plants: We don’t fight walled cities with catapults any more, but storing elastic energy can still be useful. […]

Biomimetics

Purpose-Driven Science Ignores Darwin

October 30, 2010

While some Darwinists feel that the Intelligent Design (ID) movement is a major threat to science, many scientists unconnected to ID are acting as if it provides for them a more fruitful approach to research. Several recent examples illustrated what might be called a silent “de facto” intelligent design movement. Purposeful proteins: PhysOrg reported work […]

Amazing Facts

Cells Know Their Physics

October 27, 2010

At the microscopic level of cells, forces come into play that are unfamiliar to us at the macro level: quantum mechanics, Brownian motion, and subtle elastic forces that we might overlook. Two recent papers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explored physical mechanisms cells use to good advantage. Good thing cells know […]

Amazing Facts

Automatic Turnstiles Found in the Cell

October 25, 2010

One of the things students learn about in high school biology classes is active transport: the ability to control flow through a semi-permeable membrane. Contrary to osmosis, in which the flow goes naturally from high concentration to low concentration, cell membranes employ active mechanisms to push or pull the molecules through their membranes according to […]

Amazing Facts

Hairy Bacteria Walk and Talk

October 12, 2010

Little hair-like projections on some bacteria, nearly invisible with light microscopes, are not just for decoration. They do amazing things – as a pair of recent discoveries brought to light. They help bacteria walk and talk. But can they dance? Bacteria swim, but they also land on surfaces – and when they do, they put […]

Amazing Facts

DNA Performs the Linking Rings Trick

October 11, 2010

Those who love a good magic show should be aware of a world-famous trick going on inside their own bodies. The “Chinese linking rings” trick is done by a team of protein magicians in the cell – but it’s not for entertainment, it’s to repair damage that could lead to cancer. PhysOrg echoed […]

Amazing Facts

More DNA Repair Wonders Found

October 7, 2010

One of the most phenomenal discoveries since the structure of DNA was revealed must surely be the discovery of multitudes of protein machines that repair DNA (01/04/2002). The repair machines are themselves coded by DNA, but DNA would quickly decay into nonsense without them. Another “fundamentally new” repair mechanism was discovered by researchers at Vanderbilt […]

Cell Biology

Big Gains for Adult Stem Cells Announced

October 4, 2010

Ever since Shinya Yamanaka figured out how to coax skin cells to become pluripotent stem cells in 2007 (something for which he is being considered for a Nobel Prize, see PhysOrg), other researchers have been improving on his idea. Three big gains were announced recently. PhysOrg and New Scientist reported work by Derrick […]

Cell Biology

Cosmic Accidents Are Not Scientific Explanations

October 3, 2010

Sunday Meditation Oct 3, 2010 — The classic understanding of science is that it explains things with reference to natural laws, makes predictions, is testable, quantifiable, and falsifiable. Depending on the branch of science, many researchers still attempt to hold to those ideals. Eugenie Scott put it this way: “modern science operates under a rule […]

Cell Biology

Ethics Shmethics: Scientists Obsessed with Embryonic Stem Cells

September 26, 2010

With non-controversial adult stem cell research zooming along, like finding ways to prevent adult stem cells (ASC) from aging (PhysOrg), providing hope for leukemia patients (Science Daily) and giving mastectomy patients a chance for beauty once again (Science Daily), why are so many scientists adamant about keeping embryonic stem cell research on the public dole? […]

Amazing Facts

Mere Biochemistry: Cell Division Involves Thousands of Complex, Interacting Parts

September 25, 2010

In biochemistry, the stem -mere means “part” (as in centromere, telomere) and -some means “body” (as in chromosome, ribosome). Biochemists are learning that these cell organelles are not -mere bit parts, but -some fit bodies. Telomeres and chromosomes: PhysOrg reported that the chemical “caps” on the end of chromosomes, called telomeres, have a special code […]

Amazing Facts

Piston Engine Joins Rotary Engine in Cells

September 22, 2010

The rotary engine ATP synthase has been discussed frequently in these pages (e.g., 12/22/2003, 08/10/2004, 08/04/2010) as an exquisite “molecular machine” that produces the cell’s energy pellets (ATP) with a rotary, turbine-like mechanism. Now, a piston-driven engine has been found at work in every cell’s energy factory. ATP synthase operates at the end […]

Amazing Facts

Synonymous Codons: Another Gene Expression Regulation Mechanism

September 19, 2010

Some words in English have alternate spellings, but sound the same. If the sound is the same, how would a recording device tell them apart? Would it make any difference? It shouldn’t, but now scientists are realizing that genetic codons spelled differently can influence the protein formed – even when the spellings, called “synonymous codons”, […]

Amazing Facts

Nerve Traffic Cop Identified

September 13, 2010

What makes signals go in one direction in neurons? It’s important, because a reflex signal from a bump on your knee needs to go in the direction of the controlling muscle and on to the brain, not any which way. Is there some kind of traffic cop that directs the placement of “one way” signs […]

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