In mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease, stem cell transplant repairs damaged gut

Jordan Galletta

Article Url:  http://www.medicalnewstodays.com/releases/267630.php

Published: By MediLexicon International Limited on October 21, 2013

Summery: The Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute at the University of Cambridge starting by looking at developing intestinal tissue in a mouse embryo to look at the restriction of stem cells to their own tissue. The team started by looking at developing intestinal tissue in a mouse embryo, where they found uniquely different cells to adult stem cells in the gut. These cells were actively dividing and able to progressively grow in a laboratory without becoming like the adult cells. But what was incredible is what happen once they were transplanted back into the mice along with a inflammatory bowel disease. Within the first few hours the stem cells had attached to the damaged areas of the intestine, integrating with the other gut cells and started to help repair the damaged tissue. They found a similar stem cell in human gut cells and think it be a huge step in helping inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, one of the risks is that once transplanted the cells will continue to grow and form a tumor, but no signs of that were shown with the mice experiment.

Relevance: This unit we are looking at cells and the functions that different cells have. With stem cells in particular, it is known that they only help the tissue of their origin. This means that not every cell can help when their is a damaged spot around that area. In particular with ulcerative colitis, it is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long lasting inflammation in part of a persons digestive tract, it is like Crohn's disease. At this time there is no known cure, but this stem cell lab might have just been the answer. As of this point it is known to significantly help, by reducing the signs and symptoms of the disease. This proves that scientists are on the right track in looking for cures and not just for bowel diseases. If stem cells prove to be successful, they could help many more diseases, that at the moment, do not have a cure.

Habitat Research Methods Give a New Peek at Tiger Life

Summery: In order to protect endangered species it is crucial for people to understand the long-term outcomes of conservation. Neil Carter followed the work of his adviser, Jack Liu,  in order to protect the endangered tigers is Chitwan National Park in Nepal. The Challenge was being able to protect the tigers and the biodiversity of the area because the human inhabitants needed the forest for fuel, wood, and other building materials. In 1966 Nepal added a buffer zone to the park. It was a area of land surrounding the park to improve the areas ecosystems and the humans livelihood. the buffer zone allowed people to not only use the forests themselves but they had a say in the management of the land. The tigers often go out side the protected land because they do not understand the boundaries of the protected area.  In order to keep everyone safe, Carter set up 76 infrared cameras around the park to see where the tigers spent the most time. By doing this he discovered that he now has insight to where to keep people away from the tigers and he was able to determine that the Chitwan National Park was still a desirable place for the tigers.

Relevance: By using the same methods as Carter other people can help endangered species. He was able to share a method of gaining information by the cameras. It is an easy way to take advantage of the tools and methods being used around the globe. Satellite images can show how and ecosystem has changed over time resulting in the shift of animals. It easily shows if some policies are working and if some are not, like in China's panda habitat. Images showed that the high-profile sanctuary was being destroyed faster than the land surrounding it that was not a protected habitat.  Noticing this was a problem the policies where realigned and the pandas were able to be properly protected.

url: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131018132157.htm
published by Michigan state university on October 18th, 2013

Non-Native Goats and Iguanas threaten Pacific Islands

Summary: Two papers on non-native goats and iguanas, that were brought by humans to several Pacific Islands, were made to encourage people to remove or exterminate these two species. One paper said that the goats were overgrazing and decreasing the amount of grass available in the ecosystems. It also talked about the negative effects the iguanas were having on human activity including more car and road accidents from iguanas crossing the roads. Both papers warned that the goats will also have a role in destruction of habitat from over grazing and "recommends that the goats be removed from some of the vulnerable ecosystems in the Pacific." The iguanas are also reported to have possibly been on the islands since the 1950s and have now experienced a spike in population. This has lead to displacements of native species on the islands, particularly in Fiji. The biodiversity of the ecosystems on the islands has also depleted because of the iguanas and goats because they have destroyed habitats and replaced native species as well. But the main point that these two papers wanted to make, was that invasive alien species need to be removed from vulnerable islands or prevention from introduction of invasive species is key to vulnerable ecosystems on these islands.

Relation: In our ecosystems unit we learned about the impacts and negative effects invasive species have on ecosystems, and this is an example of these negative effects in several ecosystems. Because of the goats many species of plants (especially grass) have depleted because of over grazing from the goats, which would lower the biodiversity of the ecosystem. The iguanas have also depleted species of native animals from the increase in population, this was most likely cause by competitive exclusion. Since there was a spike in the iguana population, then they would need more food resulting in less food for other native species with the same food source as the iguanas. This would cause a decrease of growth in the native population, with the iguanas out competing the native species. The iguanas have also contributed in the process of decreasing the biodiversity of the islands' ecosystems. This article is an example of how invasive species can effect an ecosystem's biodiversity and how competitive exclusion can also contribute to the loss of biodiversity in an ecosystem.

Link: http://www.scidev.net/global/biodiversity/news/non-native-goats-and-iguanas-threaten-pacific-islands.html

Labels: ecosystem, biodiversity, competitive exclusion, native species

Stick Bug Effect

Author: James A. Foley
Date: Oct 21, 2013
Summary: Stick bugs in California bring down whole ecosystems due to their poor camouflage. A bug has evolved to give birth to two types of other bugs. One with a white stripe down the back and one that is all green. If a bug is poorly camouflaged, then a bird may land, and eat the bug along with other insects in the area. Those insects cause the bugs to disappear, which in turn affects the birds and the plants, and anything else relying on the plants or birds, and this can eventually cause the ecosystem to collapse, which many have done, due to these bugs.

Relevance: This article ties into the concept of a keystone species. In this article, it shows a keystone species' importance in an ecosystem. In some ecosystem it's a predator that is the keystone species. In this one it is a little bug that causes havoc in the ecosystem.

Link: http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/4546/20131021/poorly-camouflaged-insects-bring-cascade-effects-local-ecosystems.htm

Why Do We Sleep?

Summary: For a long time now, we have known that sleeping carries with it many benefits. However, we have not known why we need to sleep. A recent study, however, has found a possible answer. While awake and functioning, brain cells produce waste which accumulates over time. During sleep, it was shown that the mechanism for disposing of this waste acted quicker, and the cells themselves shrunk, allowing for more waste matter to be expelled from the brain.

Relevance: This article deals with the functioning of cells in the brains, namely the waste products of their reactions and with their shrinking to allow for a greater volume of waste to be expelled.

Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/brains-flush-toxic-waste-in-sleep-including-alzheimers-linked-protein-study-of-mice-finds/2013/10/19/9af49e40-377a-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html

Stem Cells Heal Hearts

Article URL: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/13/patients-own-stem-cells-help-heal-heart-early-research-shows/

Summary: Researchers have taken heart cells from 25 patients. They then gave these cells back to the patients soon after they had heart attacks. The patients had developed large amounts of scar tissue in their hearts after the heart attacks. This scar tissue was greatly reduced in 17 out of 25 patients, and therefore has provided evidence for future use of this procedure.

Relevance: In our unit about cells, we discussed how cells replicate and how human cells work. This relates to my article with how, in my article, human heart cells were replicated out side the body, and when they were put back into the body the replicated even faster.

Air Pollution Causes Cancer

Article Url: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/health/geneva-air-pollution-carcinogenic-who/

Olivia Tyndall

Author: Ben Brumfield   Date of Publication: October 17. 2013

Summary: The World Health Organization has concluded that pollution is a major cause of lung cancer in humans. In 2010, air pollution took the lives of 223,000 people around the world, a number that is expected to rise. Air pollution also increases the risk of bladder cancer and contributes to heart disease and respiratory problems. The only way to fix this problem: clean up the air. Lowering air pollution will not only have health benefits, but it will also be good for our environment.

Relevance: This article connects to our units about ecosystems and cells. During our ecosystems unit, we learned about the threats facing out environment, including pollution, and the impacts that these threats would have. Although this focuses more on the impact that pollution is having on people, it still is centered around the bigger issue of man-made climate destruction. During our cell unit, we read about cancer in the textbook. While the textbook talked about how cancer spreads, this article talks about one of the ways people get cancer in the first place.

Nutrient Pollution Threatens National Park Ecosystems

Caroline Maxwell

Article Url:  http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-national-park-fertilize-nitrogen-air-pollution-20131014,0,6264129.story  

Published: By Tony Barboza October 14, 2013

Summary: The article is about park in the Sierra Nevada and the Great Smoky Mountain Ranges in Eastern U.S. The mountains are being fertilized by an increasing amount of nitrogen. More than a third of the parks are getting too great a amount for the ecosystem to survive. Plants, such as lichen, forests, and prairie grasses could be affected. Air pollution regulation have been cleaning up the amount of nitrogen oxides, but ammonia, another gas made of mostly nitrogen is not decreasing. In automobiles, nitrogen amounts are estimated to decrease 75% as of 2050, which is fantastic for air pollution. On the down side, the agriculture industry will use almost double because as the population grows, the need for more livestock and plants also increases. 

Relevance: We learned about the nitrogen cycle when we learned about ecosystems this year. As we know, nitrogen is essential for the plants to grow, but like the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle becomes harmful if there is too much in the atmosphere. The things that may possibly happen to these parks are that the pH could lower, a rise of non-native species that loves the nitrogen could emerge, and the nutrients in the soil could be disrupted due to the increase of nitrates in the soil. Too much of anything in the atmosphere has negative consequences.

   

The Black Rat

Ryan Doncaster
October 21, 2013

Summary
     The Black Rat started in Asia. Through the migration of humans, the rats were able to invade most of the world via ship. In the U.S, they arrived in the 16th century and have integrated themselves into ecosystems all over the country. It has adapted to all kinds of environments due to its capability of eating almost anything edible. The rats are capable of spreading diseases, and destroying property. In addition to being a nuisance to humans, it is also a threat to natural wildlife. They have caused damage to the populations of birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Especially on islands, they have cause severe damage and sometimes extinction to some bird populations. The rats will prey on the eggs and young of the birds.

Relevance
     This connects to our first unit, ecosystems. Even though this specific example wasn't mentioned in class, this is an example of an invasive species. This article mentions how the rats are responsible for some bird populations, and how humans were the ones to give them the opportunity to invade. we covered both of those topics in class.

source:http://www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/invasives/rats.html

Scientists Grow New Stem Cells in a Living Mouse

Summary: Scientists in Madrid, Spain have recently grown stem cells in a living mouse. Stem cells are cells in the bodies of multicellular organisms that have not yet specialized, and therefore can still specialize and reproduce using mitosis. The abilities of stem cells allow them to act as a repair system  for the body and the tissues of organs (often used in skin). The scientists involved in this experiment used the same methods used to grow stem cells in petri dishes, and although it wasn't fully successful, it gave lots of information to scientists about using these stem cells for regeneration. Regeneration is useful in the curing of diseases that currently have no cure, such as stroke and heart disease. The test was not totally successful because the cells implanted into the mouse caused tumors, which would be a big problem if this occurred in humans. For that reason, there are probably many more years of research before this discovery can be used in humans.

Relevance: This is relevant to this term's curriculum because we have learned about benign and malignant tumors from the textbook. The textbook talks about tumors and how they can be fatal. Cancer cells grow rapidly and uncontrollably. If the cancer cells were to get into blood vessels they could even spread much further than the original point of development, a process called metastasis.  If the methods used in this discovery were to be tested in humans, those test subjects would probably develop cancer and might even die. Therefore these methods have to be improved and refined before they can actually be used to cure certain diseases.

URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/11/us-stemcells-idUSBRE98A0ZV20130911
Author Name: Kate Kelland
Date of Publication: 9/11/2013

Microbes Help Beetles Defeat Plant Defenses

Sunday, October, 20, 2013

Microbes Help Beetles Defeat Plant Defenses

Summary: Symbiotic bacteria that live inside the Colorado potato beetles can make a plant believe that it is being attacked by microbes instead of an animal. The beetles that have this bacteria were more healthy and grew at a better rate then the other beetles that didn't have the bacteria. The beetles regurgitated the bacteria onto the leaves to begin eating and digesting the leaves. When the leaves are being eaten by herbivores or insects, the leaves releases protease inhibitors and polyphenol oxidase which in turn suppresses the insects growth and digestion. But with the gut bacteria, the Colorado potato beetles could chew and digest the plant more normally then other beetles without the symbiotic bacteria.

Relevance: This article relates to our class studies on how species interact with each other with symbiotic relationships. This connects to chapter 35 where we learned about the three symbiotic relationships with different species. We learned about parasitism where an organism obtains food at the risk of a different organism. Their was also commensalism, which was where one organism benefits while the other organism isn't affected. Lastly is mutualism, where both organisms benefit from each other. The symbiotic bacteria in the Colorado potato beetle could possibly be mutualism because the beetle gets to eat and digest normally while the bacteria has somewhere to live and can multiply.

Author: A'ndrea Elyse Messer
Published: September 9, 2013
Link: http://news.psu.edu/story/286884/2013/09/09/research/microbes-help-beetles-defeat-plant-defenses
By: Simin Li

The Tests That Babies Need

Summary: This article, by Jane E. Brody, is about the screening of newborn babies for inherited and congenital disorders. One of the disorders mentioned was a metabolic disorder called phenylketonuria, also known as PKU. Kids with PKU are missing an essential enzyme. PKU causes damaged to the brain such as mental retardation and physical disabilities, and to prevent those things from happening one must be on a special protein free diet. In this article, both a story about how a screening saved a child's life and one about how the lack of a screening lost a child's life are mentioned. Gina Swift, currently a 5th grader from California, was found to have an inherited metabolic disorder called 3-MCC as a result of being screened as a newborn. This disorder causes the person affected to be unable to process the amino acid leucine, resulting in brain damage. Kaylin Peters, unfortunately, had a major heart defect that wasn't found at birth. This resulted in death. Many people are working hard to ensure that all screenings will be mandatory so many lives will be saved and bettered.

Relevance: In class, some of the things we have been learning about include enzymes, proteins, and amino acids. The metabolic disorder called PKU relates to those topics because it is a disorder that causes the person affected to be lacking an enzyme that converts the amino acid phenylalanine to tyrosine. An enzyme is a catalyst, meaning it helps speed up chemical reactions. Since the enzyme is missing, there is nothing to start the chemical reaction to convert the phenylalanine to tyrosine. This is what causes the brain damage. 3-MCC also relates to amino acids, and similar to PKU this condition causes unprocessed amino acid buildup which then results in brain damage.

Author: Jane E. Brody

Published: October 14, 2013

URL: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/the-tests-that-babies-need/

Corruption in Peru Aids Cutting of Rain Forest

Corruption in Peru Aids Cutting of Rain Forest

Summary: 

           Corruption in Peru has led to extreme amounts of illegal logging. The World Bank estimates 80% of Peru's exports in the logging industry are illegally harvested. This is because local authorities are often bribed into creating false paperwork by the loggers, who then sell the wood. In the case of one military officer, the corruption was so bad that he stopped making the mandatory checks of loads of timber for paperwork, because even if he halted the load, the military officials would create false paperwork. The deforestation of Peru could prove to be very harmful to local species as well as climate change. Nearly half of Peru is covered in dense forest, and the preservation of this forest is considered to be extremely important in the fight against global warming. Also, there are many species of plants and animals only found in this region, and the deforestation will take away habitat space, and could endanger many of the species.

Relevance:

           The deforestation of Peru relates to our unit about Ecosystems. Even more specifically, it relates to what we learned about the different ways humans can harm an ecosystem, because deforestation is one of the biggest negative impacts humans can make on an area. Deforestation is the clearing of forests, and is done for many different reasons. Some of these reasons include collecting timber, as is the case in Peru, or the clearing of land for other uses. Deforestation can greatly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide taken in by plants for photosynthesis, causing an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which increases temperature. Deforestation also reduces the amount of habitat area for local species.

Citation:

Authors: William Neuman and Andrea Zarate

Date of Publication: October 18, 2013

URL:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/19/world/americas/corruption-in-peru-aids-cutting-of-rain-forest.html?pagewanted=1&ref=science&_r=0

Eli Tsakiris

  Bilby Burrows Integral to Ecosystem Function

Summary: This article tells of a small rodent called a Bilby, whose interesting burrowing habits have proved to be vital to its ecosystem's health.  "The more moderate and stable microclimate in the burrows at night may provide two potential benefits," DPaW research scientist Dr Tamra Chapman says. Seeds in the burrows and on the surface soil are exposed to different conditions, which may increase plant diversity. The insides of the burrows tended to have higher soil moisture, pH, and lower aluminum than the surrounding soil, thus helping biodiversity. Since a slightly different habitat is available inside the Bilby's burrow, different types of plants can live there that would normally not exist in the Bilby's outside habitat. Secondly, an experiment also revealed an accumulation of mineral nitrogen in the burrows, which is uncommon in the area the Bilby lives but is beneficial to some plants growth. As resources like these are uncommon in the Bilby's habitat, its ability to distribute them and make them available to plants, is extremely beneficial. The Bilby's burrows act almost as a plow would, turning up the soil and making nutrients more available to plants.

Relevance: This article relates to our lessons in unit one about Biodiversity, relating to the stability of an ecosystem. We learned how the more diverse an ecosystem is, the more stable and productive it is. The Bilby creates areas of different conditions which allows a greater spectrum of plants to grow increasing the biodiversity. As we learned in chapter 2, a diverse ecosystem is better because there is less dependence on each individual species, so if one falters the entire ecosystem doesn't fall apart. Since the Bilby has made its ecosystem more diverse, the ecosystem depends less on each individual species, and is more likely to stay intact if a species is wiped out or extinct.

"Bilby Burrows Integral to Ecosystem Function." Bilby Burrows Integral to Ecosystem Function. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://phys.org/news/2013-10-bilby-burrows-ecosystem-function.html>.

Article Link: http://phys.org/news/2013-10-bilby-burrows-ecosystem-function.html#jCp

New Jersey Wins Fight Against a Tiny Invader

Written by LISA W. FODERARO
Published: March 22, 2013
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/nyregion/new-jersey-eradicates-asian-long-horned-beetles-after-11-year-fight.html?ref=invasivespecies

Summary:
      New Jersey declares victory in its war against the Asian long-horned beetle, which is an invasive, hardwood-eating, tiny insect that arrived at New York City in 1996. Since then, the beetle has appeared in 5 different states. Asian long-horned beetles lay their eggs inside the bark of the tree. After the eggs hatch, larvae feed on the trunk’s hardwood, which is inside of the tree. According to Rhonda Santos, a spokeswoman for the federal Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. a cross section of a tree infested by Asian long-horned beetle would look like Swiss cheese. Because of the way beetles survive, they endanger some of the most abundant tree species in the U.S such as maples, London planes, birches and poplars.
      In 2002 in New Jersey, the beetle was first detected in Jersey City, in Hudson county. 113 trees were infested with this beetle, but it did not attract the attention of New Jersey. Later on in 2004, a more serious outbreak occurred in Carteret, NJ. The state sent out officials to inspect the trees and recorded over 600 infested trees in Cateret ,Linden, Rahway and Woodbridge.
      New Jersey combated this problem by inspecting 129,686 trees in a 25-square-mile zone. Officials told people to not transport firewood because this is the main reason why beetles spread. The workers not only cut the infested trees, but also cut the trees that were in high risk. For example, in Linden, NJ there were only 11 infested trees, but the workers ended up cutting down 14,894 trees were cut down, which included all sorts of trees from saplings to tall trees. All of those trees were chipped down and were burned. Eventually, the Department of Environmental Protection replanted about one-third of the trees that were removed.
The last beetle inside New Jersey was seen in 2006. However, state and federal agriculture officials wanted to make sure that the beetles would not come back to New Jersey. Thus, they required localities to wait for 3 Asian long-horn beetle life cycles before certainly eliminating the beetles. The Asian long-horned beetle created so much damage that over 20,000 trees were cut down in New Jersey. However, this decision of cutting so much wood caused the beetles to disappear from New Jersey and eliminating the problem of eliminating tree species.
      Even though the beetles are gone from New Jersey, there are still huge Asian long-horn beetle problems in New York State. Also, these beetles are not the only invasive species problem. There is also emerald ash borers that fly fast and attack ash trees. These borers are an even bigger problem as they are in 18 states including New York and Pennsylvania.

Relevance:
This article is relevant to studies in class because this article discusses ecological problems such as invasive species. In Chapter 35, we learned about predation and how it harms environments when foreign species are introduced into communities. When species are introduced, such as the Asian long-horned beetle, they tend to disrupt the community by preying on the native species (such as the maples, London planes, birches and poplars). The invasive species' population is not controlled by the other predators inside the community. Therefore, they tend to populate and completely dominate the environment. As the Asian long-horned beetles continue to eliminate populations of trees, there will be increased competition between the native species and the Asian long-horned beetle. Eventually, the Asian long-horned beetle will eliminate the trees and all of the organisms within the environment will be affected by lack of food or habitat. This will wipe out organisms within the environment and the ecosystem will lose biodiversity as the ecosystem has a less variety of organisms. Overall, Asian long-horned beetles are disruptive species that invade environments and prey on native trees without population control from predators.

Predators vs. Aliens: European Shrimps Win Predatory Battles With an American Invader

Link:
 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131011135336.htm

Published on: October 11, 2013

Author: ScienceDaily





Summary:

         Scientists looked for occurrences of where invasive species were and found that it only existed where native shrimp were not present or rare. They found that wherever there was a European shrimp population, American shrimp could not invade at all. Researchers came up with the idea that the native shrimps were eating the invasive shrimp to the point of extinction. They decided to test this by putting two native shrimps with an invading species of shrimp. Both types of native shrimp were effective at killing and eating the invader. However, one of the two, which never allowed invasive species to grow, proved to be more effective than the other because the other one sometimes co-existed with the invader. Invasion ecologists learned that sometimes native species will fight back and kill the invasive species to the point where the invasion is completely stopped.



Relevance:

               This relates to what we learned during our ecology unit about invasive species. We learned that invasive species can take over an entire ecosystem and out compete native species to the point where they stop growing. We also learned that if a native species were to die out, it could lead to other organisms that depended on that native species to die out also and lower the entire ecosystem's biodiversity. This is what happens in this article. The American shrimp tried to take over the European shrimp. However, something we did not learn was that sometimes the native species fight back and prevent the invader from taking over. This is called biotic resistance.

Government Urged to Review UK Rabies Risk

Summary:
 In the UK veterinarians are asking their government to review the latest rabies risk assessment. Rabies is a virus that effects the central nerve system. If left untreated it ends in death. The UK has changed their policy of animals needing to be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, blood tested, and quarantined for 6 months before entering the UK. The new rule in effect means that animals from other EU countries and approved non-EU countries, such as U.S. and Australia, no longer have to be blood tested and only have to remain in quarantine for 21 days. This means animals from Eastern Europe where rabies is rampant are treated the same as animals from non-rampant places. The other  issue in the UK concerning rabies is the illegal importation of animals. Many whom are smuggled from rabies rampant places. The combination of the new rule and the increase in smuggling creates a new and very real danger for those working with and around animals.

Relation:
This article relates to our past unit on ecosystems. It relates because rabies is a density dependent parasite. the larger the population of untreated or untested animals goes up the risk of the animals or humans getting rabies. And in our last unit we studied density independent factors. It also relates to the ecosystem unit because rabies is a parasite. It takes things from the host, a mammal, and benefits while harming the host.

Citation:
Emma Forde
October 19,2013
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24569593

What naturally increases the metabolism.

Summary:
                To know/understand what naturally increases your metabolism, you have to understand the metabolism.  The metabolism is made up of a series of biochemical reactions that take place within a cell and keeps the cell operating. The Chemical reactions are what keep the cell at a liveable state. If your metabolism is not working at a fast pace then the food you consume will not have the chance to be burned off  and fat will take its place. The metabolism also regulates your hormones, if your metabolism is not functioning well it can possibly affect your hormones so that they would be out of control making the cell an unliveable state. There are certain lifestyle choices that you could do to speed up your metabolic rate. First, if you excercise, the energy that you have consumed will have a chance to burn off some fat and or sugar. Second, eating foods that support a healthy metabolism.  Some examples would be: fruit, vegtables, organic foods, etc. Your body will be able to use the engery to digest and absorb the nutrients that was just consumed. Genetics also plays a part in your metabolism and your metbolic rate. If you pay close attention to how many calories you consume and how many calories you burn off your metabolism will continue to be fast or your metabolic rate will increase! The metabolic rate is how fast or the rate that your metabolism is working at.


Relevance to curriculum:
                   This article by Meghan Lyons is relevant to the curriculum because it referrs to the Cells Unit that we have discussed in class. The metabolism is a key reaction that is needed for an organism to be considered alive. The reactions that occur in the metabolism make the metabolism a liveable state. If organisms did not have a metabolism then our bodies would not function as efficiently. A metabolism enables the body to regulate itself by creating an overall healthy organism.

URL link to article:

http://www.naturemade.com/resource-center/articles-and-videos/general-health-and-well-being/increasing-metabolism

Evolution Takes a Road Trip

Summary
       New research reveals that evolution in animals in response to humans may be happening faster than imagined. In particular, some species are being observed as adapting to living by roads. Roads apply selection pressure, but they also split up populations. The decreased gene flow could be causing an increased rate of evolution. In southwestern Nevada, it appears that cliff swallows have been adapting to roads. Cliff swallows naturally build their nests on cliffs, but they also nest heavily under road bridges and overpasses. Charles Brown of the University of Tulsa has collected cliff swallow road kill for the past 31 years. Over time less road kill appeared. The road kill that appeared also had longer wing spans than other birds, and the average wing span of cliff swallows has decreased since 1982. This suggests that in a short period of time, cliff swallows have adapted to evade oncoming cars by having shorter, more maneuverable, wings. Spotted salamanders are also adapting to roads. They hatch in vernal pools, and ones near roads are exposed to many contaminants such as salt. Eggs normally near roads that were transplanted deeper into the forest survived equally well as the eggs normally in the forest. However, eggs transplanted from deeper in the forest to the roadside had a much lower survival rate.

Relevance
     The evolution of cliff swallows and spotted salamanders directly relates to the ecology unit. In our ecology unit, we discussed the interactions between species. Specifically we learned about the impact of humans on other species. Humans cause fragmentation, or the division of populations of species by roads, pollution, and much more. We have also discussed the evolution of species in reaction to environmental changes. This article connects these ideas because the swallows and salamanders evolved in direct relationship to human impacts, and our fragmentation has sped this process up. It also helps to answer the question of the long term impacts of humans on the environment. Species may be adapting quickly enough to keep up with the extreme changes people impose.

Cossins, Dan. "Evolution Takes a Road Trip." The Scientist. 1 June 2013. Web. 20 October 2013. <http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/35671/title/Evolution-Takes-a-Road-Trip/>

The Mystery of Earth’s Oxygen

The Mystery of Earth’s Oxygen

Summary:

         Given our oxygen rich environment, it is hard to believe that the Earth originally had an oxygen-free atmosphere. Over billions of years, the oxygen content built up to a level where it can support the vast numbers organisms that live on Earth. Still, scientists are struggling to reconstruct the rise of oxygen. Recently, Dr. Canfield and his colleagues published ground-breaking work on this subject. Because rocks have chemical fingerprints left behind by ancient Earth’s atmosphere, the team is able to discover what the composition of early Earth’s air. For example, iron and oxygen bond to form rust. The more molecules that form in the presence of oxygen, the more abundant oxygen was at that time. However, when looking at the oldest rocks on Earth, they found no oxygen formed molecules. Despite the sun’s rays creating oxygen by breaking it off other molecules, oxygen quickly disappears. This is due to its ability to easily bond with a wide range of molecules. However, on the rocks that are about three billion years old, there is evidence of oxygen in their molecules. This is due to increased amount of  photosynthetic microbes, which created more oxygen and less carbon dioxide. Nevertheless, there was an increase in oxygen-dependent life, therefore, the oxygen levels decreased again. Finally, since the continents moved, forming more deserts, there was less life and more oxygen.    

Relevance:

This relates to our second unit about matter and energy and touches upon the subject of ecology. Oxygen is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust and atmosphere. Therefore, to think that there was virtually no oxygen in ancient Earth is mind-boggling. Even the smallest amount of oxygen made by the sun’s rays breaking it off other molecules quickly become bonded. This is due to its six valence electrons. This leaves two bonding sites for other molecules, thus creating a diverse range  of combinations. The result of these bond are the molecules that the team looks for in the ancient rocks. Ecology played an important role in the increase/decrease of oxygen. Because the continents moved to latitudes where deserts formed instead of life-sustaining biomes. Therefore, there was an increase in oxygen, due to the decrease in oxygen breathing organisms. Because of matter, energy, and ecology, we are able to breathe highly oxygenated air.

Citation:

Author:

Carl Zimmer

Date of Publication:

October 3, 2013

Article Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/science/earths-oxygen-a-mystery-easy-to-take-for-granted.html?ref=science

Scientists Report Success in Blocking Cancer Cell's Communication

Summary: Researchers from Lund University have discovered that cancer cells communicate with other types of cells to activate the development of tumors. Once they knew this, they got an idea to try and block tumor's growth by blocking communication with other cells. Their focus on these cells though was the development of exosomes, small virus like packages that transport genetic material and protein between cells. When the production of exosomes in a cancer cell is cut off, then tumor development is halted. Lund researchers have shown that heparan sulfate proteoglycans, proteins with one or several long sugar chains attached to them, serve as receptors for exosomes and carry them into a cell. This protein also serves a role in the spread of other viruses such as HIV and thus, the mechanism in which exosomes spread resembles the spread of viral infections. Exosomes are captured then internalized and used to activate tumor development with receiver cells. When they block the receiver cells, then it also blocks of the exosomes from entering. In effect, cancer cells have no activation causing them to not spread. So they concluded when they block the path into a cancer cell, they also block the functionality of exosomes in cancer cells.


Relevance: This article relates to our cell curriculum. The article talks about how cancer cells communicate with surrounding cells and use this as a way to develop malignant tumors. The idea that scientists got was to inhibit this connection which would stop tumors from growing by blocking a cells' communication with other cells. This article relates to proteins in the cell membrane such as receptor proteins and channel proteins and cancer cells and cancer treatment. In Chapter 9.4, it explains what cancer cells do and what they can cause but it doesn't explain how they spread. This article explains how they do spread and it also gives a foundation to develop possible cancer treatment even though it is difficult to pull it off in a clinical situation.


Author: ScienceDaily.
Retrieved October 20, 2013
http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2013/10/131017080252.htm

Winners of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Summary
                The winners of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine were announced October Seventh, and those currently studying cells in a biology class should be able to understand the discoveries these men made in order for them to win the award. Three men have successfully discovered how a cell is able to organize the way it transports materials inside of it. The men revealed exactly how the materials are delivered to where they need to be in the cell.
                It is already known that material is moved within the cell in small bubbles called vesicles. They are made from the membrane of one organelle and then release their cargo by fusing with the membrane of another organelle, or the outer cell membrane. Randy Schekman, one of the winners of the Prize, identified three classes of genes that are known to control some aspect of the transportation system within cells. He did this by noticing which genes were mutated in cells that had poor transport systems. Another winner of the Nobel Prize, James Rothman, discovered how the vesicles within a cell know where to bind to. He found that there were specific proteins attached to the outside of specific membranes. When put together, the proteins bind together with each other. However, they will only bind to specific membranes with the specific proteins, so that way the vesicles will only connect with their targeted membrane. Thomas Südhof was the final recipient of the Prize, and that was for discovering how the contents of vesicles are able to be released on demand. He discovered specific machinery that responded to an increase of calcium ions, which were previously known to be important in this process, and therefore instructs proteins to bind the vesicle with the target membrane.
                How are these discoveries important? They proved to us that the mechanics that move vesicles around cells are basically the same between various types of species, such as yeast and humans. It will also give scientists ways to identify problems in cells affected by diseases such as diabetes. These discoveries opened up a whole new window of knowledge relating to cellular transport.

Relevance
                This article about the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine relates to the cell unit that we studied because it answers some of the "how" questions that many have had. We learned that vesicles transport materials between organelles, but we didn't learn specifically how. That was a question that always nagged at me, and I'm sure at others as well. We also learned about unique proteins that are on the outside of cell membranes, but we didn't learn that they were used in more than just distinguishing the cells. I've asked the question "how" about many things we learned about in the cell unit, such as how ribosomes get attached to the E.R. Hopefully some of the questions that are more unknown will be answered for us later on through new discoveries.

Link
URL: 

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2013/press.html

MLA Citation: 

 "The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - Press Release". Nobelprize.org. Nobel  
             
              Media AB 2013. Web. 20 Oct 2013. 

By Alex Garde

Intransnasal Stem Cell Therapy

Summary

A new medical procedure called intranasal stem cell therapy is being developed for replacement of dead neuron cells in brains affected with degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer's disease, as well as for treating strokes and brain tumors. The procedure is to have patients inhale stem cells through the nose and is being developed as an alternative to surgical implantation of stem cells which can cause neural inflammation, may quickly kill the implanted cells, and can be be expensive as well. Research on this procedure suggests that the inhaled stem cells do not spread through the brain indiscriminately, but target damaged cells. Studies with this procedure in animals have been showing promising results: in a rat with Parkinson's disease, motor function and slow neurological degeneration seems to improve with intranasal stem cell therapy.

                

Relevance

This article is related to the cell unit in our curriculum. In the unit, we learned about how eukaryotic cells regenerate parts of organs through mitosis (asexual reproduction) because old cells have died or have been 'rubbed off' especially in the skin. This article talks about how in this case, stem cells can replace dying or dead neurons (cells that transmit bio-electrical signals in the nervous system with ions) in the brain that has been affected with a neurological disorder that causes it to lose neurons. Cancer was also a topic in the cell unit. In the topic cancerous tumors being dangerous to the body as they can spread and cause abnormal growths, and possible treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy (both with their side effects) were all discussed. This treatment relates by being developed to replace cancerous tumors in the brain that may spread, as well as being an alternative to treatments with side effects.

Link
URL of article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=inhaled-stem-cells-might-replace-lost-neurons
Author: Caitlin Shure
Published: October 19, 2013

Researchers Find a More Effective Way to Treat Ovarian Cancer Using Nanotechnology

10/20/13

Link: http://phys.org/news/2013-10-nanotech-cellular-treatment-ovarian-cancer.html

Provided by Oregon State University, Oct. 17,  2013

Summary:  Until recently there had been little hope for those diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which is one the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women. However, discoveries about the effectiveness of combining chemotherapeutic drugs with heat to kill cancer cells has brought new hope to victims. The delivery system of this new treatment is based on nanotechnology. It can kill ninety-five percent of ovarian cancer cells using iron-oxide nanoparticles coated in chemotherapeutic drugs which can  be heated once they’ve been imbedded in the cancerous cells. Specific peptides are used to make sure the nanoparticles get directly to the cancer cells, rather than nearby healthy cells. Polyethylene glycol coating is used to keep the nanoparticles from clumping up and becoming useless. Due the acidic environment of the cancer cells, the chemotherapeutic drug is released from the nanoparticles. The magnetic nanoparticles are exposed to an oscillating magnetic field which heats them up, the heat improves the function of the chemotherapeutic drug. Treatment using nanoparticles reduces side effects for cancer victims as well, another pro for this exciting new form of treatment.

Relevance: In chapter 9.4 of the text book we read about the disease cancer. Cancer cells are cells in which an error has occurred in the cell cycle, they will divide uncontrollably. When cancer cells divide they push normal tissue out of the way, which can be problematic depending on the location of the grouping of cancerous cells (malignant tumor). We also read that sometimes cancer metastasises, meaning it spreads to different locations in the body via a vein or artery. The current treatments for cancer are radiation therapy and chemotherapy, both of which has terrible side effects. Radiation therapy is when the area of the body containing cancerous cell is exposed to low doses of radiation. Chemotherapy is an oral or intravenous drug that a patient takes which kills cancerous cells. This relates to the article I’ve chosen since the article is about cancer treatment and to understand the article you need a basic idea of what cancer is.

Invasion of Northern Snakehead Fish Actually is not as Dangerous as it Seems

Link:

Author: Deborah Zabarenko
Published: May 30, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/northern-snakehead-fish-invasive-species_n_3358192.html

Summary:

The northern snakehead fish, also known as the "frakenfish", made its first big appearance in the United States in 2002.  Native to China's Yangtze River basin, it was a peculiar sight when a thriving population was found in a Maryland pond right outside Washington.  Many other non-native species have flourished in the United States, but not many compare to the northern snakehead, which has a body as long as 30 inches, a large toothy mouth, and can survive for days outside of water with its body secreting full-body slime.  They are told to be able to "walk" on land, out compete and wipe out native species, and also have no natural predators; these myths are not true. First, the fish don't walk but instead slither out of the water, and second, they are easy prey for ospreys and eagles.  Finally, while the snakehead population has risen from 2004, the population of the large-mouth bass has also increased, which is a prized sport fish that brings in $622 million a year to Virginia and accounts for more than 5,500 jobs in the state as well, according to the American Sportfishing Associations.  Snakeheads are also considered a delicacy in China and are sold for four or five dollars per pound in the United States.  So far, the fish have surfaced in waters from Massachusetts to California, and from Manhattan's Central Park to a pair of creeks in Arkansas.  The biggest group of them though reside within and all around Chesapeake Bay, and officials from Virginia and Maryland have been trying to keep the snakehead fish from harming the ecological balance of the bay.  Virginia fisheries biologist John Odenkirk said that the state's goal is not eradication of the snakehead, but intelligent management.

Relevance:

This article relates to our class studies about ecological threats in the curriculum.  In chapter 35, we learned that in a community sometimes there is interspecific competition when two or more species rely on the same limited resource and competitive exclusion would occur where one of the species would out compete the other one for the resources, killing off the other population.  We also learned about introduced species which were organisms that were moved from their native locations to new geographic areas by humans intentionally or accidentally.  There were two options for introduced species, and that was to die before they were able to reproduce or fight the native species for resources and overtake them.  In this article, the invasive species are being monitored and have not been wrecking havoc within ecosystems in the past decade.  While others would think the snakehead fish would overtake other native species being the invasive species they are, they have somehow been living with the large-mouth bass while sharing the same resources.  We had also learned in chapter 35 that under certain conditions, it would be possible for two species who share the same resources to live together.  The snakehead fish have also been providing the humans with a new delicacy, which is their meat!

By: Steven Yen

Blood Vessel Cells Repair and Regenerate Organs

Summary:
                  One day there may be no organ transplants due to the new info that scientists and doctors have found out recently. They have figure out that the blood vessel cells can regenerate and repair organs. The blood vessel cells in our body don’t automatically fix the damaged organ because the blood vessels are usually inflamed or damaged when the organ is damaged. This doesn’t let the cells do their jobs.  Scientist and doctors have figured out that endothelial cells, the cells that make up the blood vessels, adapt to each organs metabolic, biomechanical, inflammatory and immunological needs. They have not quite figured out how the endothelial cells adapt, but they have tested it on a liver of a mouse and could not tell the native cells from the ones they injected in. The cell that the scientists injected into the mouse’s liver and take the phenotype of the cells that already existed because of the unique microenvironment in the organ. Eventually doctors could be injecting these cells in to horses to stop tumor growth and maybe it could be target certain things inside of the diseased organ and repair only what is needed not destroying anything in good shape. Before this idea can be tested on humans, more research and investigating must happen.

Relevance: 

             This article relates to our cell unit because the blood vessel’s cells repair organs. In our cell unit we talked about how cells repair different things. For example, we talked about when we cut our selves more cells are made to fill up the hole in our skin. We also learned about ways to stop cancer and in this article it says that the blood vessel cells can stop tumors from growing in horses. So maybe eventually this will stop tumor growth in humans. It would be a way for the doctors to inject cells and they would not harm the body as much as the current treatments. This also relates to the cell theory because in the article it talks about how the blood vessel cells adapt to the environment they are in and the scientists could not tell the difference between the native ones and the ones they injected. It relates to the cell theory because the cell theory states that all cells are the basic unit of structure and function. If they weren’t then all of the cells they inject would not have any purpose, but because there are the functions of an organism they help the organ in the organism do it’s functions.   

Link:
URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131008152218.htm
Author: Weill Cornell Medical College
Date of Publication: October 8, 2013
By: Francesca Sajedi