Microbiology – Page 99

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Thermodynamics: The Real Theory of Everything

September 23, 2007

Need a theory of everything? Try thermodynamics. Mark Haw reviewed a new book by Peter Atkins on the subject in Nature,1 Four Laws that Drive the Universe (Oxford, 2007). He had high praise for the achievements of the “19th century grandees” Joule, Maxwell and Kelvin: Thermodynamics ought to be the cornerstone of any scientist’s understanding […]

Genetics

Genetics Central Dogma Is Dead

September 12, 2007

The science of life is undergoing changes so jolting that even its top researchers are feeling something akin to shell-shock.

Fossils

Do Genes Reveal the Cambrian Explosion?

September 4, 2007

A Croatian geneticist believes he can find the Cambrian Explosion in the genes. Science Daily told about Tomislav Domazet-Loso from the Rudjer Boskovic Institute in Zagreb, whose team employed a “novel methodological approach in evolutionary studies” they called “genomic phylostratigraphy.” Looking for a “genetic trigger” for the Cambrian explosion, they hoped their method can “shed […]

Genetics

Mystery of the Ultraconserved Elements, Cont.

August 18, 2007

ejerano et al reported ultraconserved elements in the human genome (05/27/2004). These were non-coding regions that, for some unknown reason, showed no evolution between mouse and human – a time span over tens of millions of years. Since many of these ultraconserved regions are also found in bird genomes, they added that some genetic regions […]

Dumb Ideas

Stupid Evolution Quote of the Week: Shark Chefs and Finger Food

August 15, 2007

A press release from University of Florida wins this week’s prize for trying to make dogmatism funny (or at least appealing to snackers): When the first four-legged animals sprouted fingers and toes, they took an ancient genetic recipe and simply extended the cooking time, say University of Florida scientists writing in Wednesday’s issue of the […]

Amazing Facts

DNA Repair Is Highly Coordinated

August 14, 2007

The remarkable ability of cells to repair DNA damage has been the subject of several recent articles. As a long, physical molecule subject to perturbing forces, DNA is subject to breakage on occasion. If repair mechanisms were not in place, the genetic information would quickly become hopelessly scrambled and life would break down. Studies are […]

Cell Biology

Immune System Appeared Early

August 12, 2007

“Social amebas” or slime molds have gotten praise recently as inventors of the immune system. These amebas can band together in a “slug” that can move as a unit and generate stalks and spores. Science Daily reported on research at Baylor College of Medicine that found “sentinel cells” in a colony of amebas that patrol […]

Cell Biology

Can Life Survive for Millions of Years?

August 6, 2007

How long can cells and tissues last? Two different yet related stories should raise questions about the dates claimed, because the observations are astonishing. Trees of the living dead: Cypress trees in Hungary supposedly buried for eight million years look pristine. The wood is unfossilized and uncoalified, said the report on Breitbart.com. All that remained […]

Dumb Ideas

Darwinism Seen in Action!

August 3, 2007

An example of Darwinian evolution in action was reported by EurekAlert. This dramatic announcement called it a “rare example” of a “controversial theory of genetic conflict” in the reproduction of certain fish: The conflict has been likened to a “battle of the sexes” or an “arms race” at the molecular level between mothers and fathers. […]

Amazing Facts

Motorized Ears Give Mammals Acoustic Acuity

July 31, 2007

f=”crev03.htm#amazing11″>03/27/2001), we reported on the discovery of prestin, a motor protein that acts as an amplifier in the inner ear. One of the fastest-acting molecular motors known (02/21/2002), prestin works by stiffening the rod-shaped cell body with its cilia. Somehow, the action of this motor protein amplifies hearing in mammalian ears by several orders of […]

Cell Biology

Photosynthesis Requires the Right Kind of Star

July 27, 2007

Where can photosynthesis occur? The answer depends on the energy of starlight, the atmosphere, the amount of water vapor, and the organisms equipped to harvest it. A new kind of photosynthetic bacterium was just discovered in a Yellowstone hot spring (see Science Daily). Exciting as this is (and the discoverer felt he had […]

Cell Biology

Keep the Stem Cell News Straight

July 19, 2007

Stem cell technology continues to make news, but the phrase “stem cells” alone can mask serious ethical issues. Adult stem cells (AS) and embryonic stem cells (ES) are both being investigated for their ability to transform into any cell type in the body. Both are advertised as promising dramatic cures for debilitating diseases, with their […]

Amazing Facts

Cool Cell Tricks

July 16, 2007

Some cell parts act like acrobats, some like rescue workers, and some like I.T. professionals. Here are some recent stories about the tricks that living cells perform each day. Precision formation flying: The Scientist expressed amazement at the precision of key factors in development of the body plan in fruit flies. The levels of expression […]

Genetics

What Are Human Genes Doing in a Sea Anemone?

July 8, 2007

The genome of a sea anemone has been published, and of all things, this lowly animal has genes common to vertebrates, even humans. Science Daily began with a conundrum, “The first analysis of the genome of the sea anemone shows it to be nearly as complex as the human genome, providing major insights into the […]

Early Man

The Chimp-Human 1% Difference: A Useful Lie

June 29, 2007

Jon Cohen made a remarkable admission in Science this week.1 The popular notion that humans and chimpanzees are genetically 99% similar is a myth, and should be discarded. Since 1975, textbooks, the media and museums have emphasized this close similarity; but now, Cohen quoted a number of scientists who say the number cannot possibly be […]

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