Ocean Life

Here's a link to the Science News slideshow "An Oceanic Endeavor: Census of Marine Life".
Click here to view this amazing compilation of the most fascinating marine creatures. Marine organisms are truly extraordinary and come in various odd and crazy shapes, colors and size. So much abundance of life in the ocean is often overlooked but there is literally a whole world out there with creatures like the sea cucumber, nemartean, and numerous others. The unique morphology and characteristics are unbelievable and remind us to  conserve the beauty of these ocean entities by reducing our often destructive effects on the ocean with oil spills and other human activities.

Double Helix Drama

In a recent article about the discovery of DNA, they discuss the fierce competition and jealousy that existed among contributors and discoverers such as Francis Crick, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling. Letters surfacing after decades reveal that Crick disliked Franklin and was pleased with her early exit, even calling her a witch. Wilkins too was in a power struggle with Franklin. Watson and Crick were very insecure about their research and feared they would be overshadowed by Pauling. Such drama, jealousy and bitter intentions show a human side to these exemplary individuals and Nobel prize winners but also reveals the passion they had for their work. The discovery of the DNA double helix was a breakthrough in molecular biology and greatly contributed to the advancement of biology in general.
Article Link: http://news.discovery.com/history/dna-discovery-drama-revealed-in-letters.html

The Dodo: Revealing a Past, Inspiring a Future

In biology we often study the living things around us but equally important are those organisms that are extinct and remain as examples that reveal the past and inspire the future. The dodo bird is an example of how fast a species can go extinct due to human activity. According to the American Museum of Natural History website (http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/expeditions/treasure_fossil/Treasures/Dodo/dodo.html?dinos), the dodo bird serves as an example of both evolution and extinction, two key issues in biology. In evolving the dodo actually lost its ability to fly because it was deemed unnecessary in its new home in Mauritius where there were no predators or competition. Regardless the dodo faced its biggest danger in the form of humans. As humans came in and deforestation occurred the dodos lost their homes and succumbed to extinction within less than a century of their first discovery. At the American Museum of Natural History, the dodo bird is presented in one of its exhibitions "Expedition". I first knew dodo birds as the one I saw in the Warner Bros. cartoons, Gogo Dodo, but actual dodo birds and other extinct species like it are a signifcant part of biologcal history.



Warner Bros. Gogo Dodo



Museum of Natural History

         

     

Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research is a controversial topic that has implications for the future of of mediccal practices and government policies. Here's a useful video for those who don't know what stem cells are and how they are used. Nice and simple video to show students in Biology class.

 

Here's a short clip from Family Guy regarding stem cell research. Very funny if you like or  have watched Family Guy.

Patent for Genes?

I learned something new today. I really never knew you could get a patent for genes. Well  not anymore, according to this article.

U.S. Says Genes Should Not Be Eligible for Patents By Andrew Pollack, New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/30/business/30drug.html?ref=genetic_engineering

A Short History of Medicine

Found this to be very funny.

"I have a sore throat."
2000 BC : "Eat this root"
1200 AD : "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1500 AD : "That prayer is superstition, drink this elixir."
1800 AD : "That elixir is snake oil, Take this pill."
1950 AD : "That pill is ineffective, Take this antibiotic."
2000 AD : "That antibiotic is artificial, here why dont you eat this root."    — A short history of medecine.

Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Discoveries

   

After reading Science: Its History and Development Among the World's Cultures by Colin A. Ronan, I found some interesting discoveries of ancient civilizations.

    For example the ancient Egyptians may have unintentionally applied science in very innovative ways despite their limited knowledge of science. The ancient Egyptians exhibited extensive biological knowledge by performing brain, dental surgery and embalming. To even attempt brain surgery is a surprising practice especially from a civilization that did not truly venture in to the scientific basis of things focusing rather on practical uses. Mummification is truly fascinating since it delays decomposition and gives us a well-preserved human body to study. The ancient Egyptians were able to explore anatomy of both humans and animals with their ability to identify, remove and preserve organs.

        The ancient civilizations of China discovered different uses of insects and other organisms. For example during Shang times about 1500 BC, silk worms were used for their ability to form silk, the fabric we often regard as very precious and luxurious.  Another insect they “domesticated” was the bred scale insects that obtained wax from to use for candles and medicinal purposes. The cochineal was another insect they acquired color for dyeing purposes. Cricket fighting is another example of mastery with insects though this was regarded as a popular sport.

    Lastly the classification of species is also another discovery made by the ancient Babylonians. It is astonishing that they were able to identify species and attempt to classify them in systematic manner. This is truly an early example of classification which is significant aspect of biology. Of course this also stemmed from a practical reason since it is necessary to classify organisms when they sold different types of fish and other animals for consumption.

Mummy of Queen Hatshepsut, National Geographic

Silkworm webcastr.com