Biologizing - Biological News n' Views

 Lactose intolerance is a common condition that many of us may have or know someone who has it. It’s the inability to digest lactose in dairy, resulting in symptoms such as bloating, stomach cramps, gas, and diarrhea. Many people have this notion that those who are lactose intolerant have a mutation that prevents them from digesting lactose, but in reality, it’s just the opposite. All mammals have the ability to digest lactose soon after birth because they are receiving milk from their mothers, also known as weaning. This is due to a gene in our DNA that is responsible for producing the lactase enzyme, which is necessary for breaking down lactose. However, once mammals reach a certain age and no longer need to receive nutrients from their mother’s milk, the lactase gene is repressed, and lactase production stops. Naturally like other mammals, humans are supposed to be lactose intolerant because lactose is only needed when we are infants. However, a mutation occurred thousands of ye...

 Often I have found there are two groups of people in the world; people who don’t crack their knuckles and warn the other group, the habitual joint crackers, that arthritis is an imminent consequence of the habit. An article from John Hopkins Arthritis Center describes what is actually going on beneath the skin. All joints are surrounded by a sac that is filled with synovial fluid which contains nutrients and dissolved gasses and works to reduce the friction between your joints so that they can move comfortably for years. When you crack your joints; back, neck, fingers, or anything else, the sac stretches, decreasing the pressure inside. This decreased pressure creates a vacuum within the sac. The gasses dissolved in the synovial fluid move to fill the vacuum space, creating a gaseous bubble. It's this bubble that when popped, creates the cracking and popping sounds that you either love or hate. The article states there is no higher propensity for knuckle crackers to develo...

 Our gut flora is one of the most diverse bacterial ecosystems within our bodies. With about 100 trillion bacteria within our gastrointestinal tract, both good and bad, the human organism has co- evolved to live with such microbes in a way in which these interactions have fostered human development, immunity, and nutrition. Yet, many fail to acknowledge its importance regarding our health, especially when it comes to brain function. Novel research studies suggest that the relationship between the brain and gut is on a bidirectional axis - where the activity and functioning of one can affect the other. Hence, some studies have identified certain species in the gut microbiome that produce neuroactive compounds essential for mental stability. In a population-level study done by Jeroen Raes at VIB, his team discovered that microbes found in the gut could produce the essential metabolite referred to as DOPAC, which is responsible for the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. More...

 CRISPR is still a fairly new gene editing technology that is slowly but successfully making steps in the right direction. Huge progress has been made recently that could soon lead to incredible advancements in science altogether. CRISPR, the well-known gene editing tool is currently being studied and tested in order to achieve amazing scientific advances, including things such as deleting, inserting, or editing genes to cure rare diseases that currently have no cure or even no treatment. The hope is that one day CRISPR could be used to almost entirely erase genetic errors, and do once unthinkable things such as find a cure for countless genetic problems including down syndrome, cancer, Hurler syndrome, etc. This article discusses a rare genetic disease, known as hereditary angioedema, and how the use of CRISPR has been remarkably successful so far even in the first few attempts. Three patients with this rare disease, which causes painful and life-threatening swelling in the throat...

 A recent discovery introduced that dogs have a nose-to-brain connection. A dog’s nose is used for more things than we realize. They use them just as we do in our everyday life; however, their noses not only help them with daily activities, but they also sniff out bombs, drugs, weapons, and diseases. I credited their nasal excellence to the over 300 million scent receptors in their snout, making them more sensitive and better at smelling. However, there is new research that goes to show there is even a deeper connection to the brain!  The part of a dog's brain that oversees smell is also connected to a dog's vision. If a dog is blind, he would be able to perform tasks that require vision because the nose and sight are connected in the brain. A veterinary research team further explored this by taking the MRI scans of twenty mixed breed dogs and three beagles. They had the dogs smell scents and watched their olfactory bulbs as they inhaled. A dog’s olfactory bulb is thirty times...

 When it comes to dogs, there are two facts everyone knows. Dogs are man's best friend and dogs are descendants of wolves. When we think of dogs and wolves, of course, there are some similarities. But, the differences are drastic. Most dogs are cuddly, friendly, and affectionate in ways we could never imagine a wolf to be. Wolves are pack animals that are not domesticated, and we would most likely run away from one if we saw one in the wild. Dogs did evolve from wolves though, meaning they may be more similar than we think they are. A chihuahua and a wolf do not look remotely similar, but it is true that dogs are domesticated wolves. If wolves can be domesticated and evolve into a lap dog that poses no threat to us, then they must share biological makeup. In a study done at Stockholm University in Sweden, the discovery has been made that wolves can show attachment towards humans in ways that dogs do. They tested 10 wolves and 12 dogs to identify attachment behaviors. 5-month-old wo...

 Throughout many occupations, shift times and long commutes can impact sleep cycles. This is especially true for those working night shifts and transcontinental jobs, who experience extreme irregularity in their sleep cycle due to their careers. While there are many ways to combat these effects, this article highlights how chocolate for breakfast can improve the day- night activity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in jet lag and shift-work models. To create an experimental model for jet lag, researchers divided adult Wistar rats into three groups. Each of the groups was exposed to a 6 h phase advance during their light-dark cycle to simulate the effects of the acute jet-lag condition. Within each group, the rats received either 5 grams of chocolate at the beginning of the new night (CH-N), at the beginning of the previous night (CH-P), or they did not receive chocolate at all (JL). The chocolate was given at these scheduled times accordingly. The day-night pattern of the SCN is...

 The tau protein is a microtubule-associated protein that is involved in the stabilization of axonal microtubules and producing polarity in developing neurons. This protein is involved in many neurodegenerative diseases when it aggregates into tangles called neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Some diseases caused by neurofibrillary tangles of the tau protein include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease, and posttraumatic stress disorders. The tau protein tangles mainly due to hyperphosphorylation, which causes the tau protein to lose affinity for microtubules, leading to the destabilization of the microtubules and the loss of integrity of neurons. Neurons will then have trouble being able to transmit and read signals. Alongside hyperphosphorylation, abnormal acetylation is also a leading cause of tau proteins not being able to function as intended. Lysines have been a major site for acetylation and have been evolutionarily conserved in tau due to their importance in microt...

Coral reefs are a quintessential natural beauty of the world. They are one of the most diverse and plentiful ecosystems in the ocean, supporting and supplying marine species to thrive more than any other habitat in the ocean. They house many marine organisms that depend on coral reefs for shelter, food, and reproduction. But unfortunately, these beautiful reefs are shrinking dramatically due to human activities. One of which I find intriguing is sunscreen pollution, including the effects of how wearing sunscreen in the water plays out, and why it is so harmful to coral reefs. Chemicals in sunscreen can have a significant impact on coral reef life. According to research, for example, in the tropical area of  Kahalu'u  Bay, located in Hawaii, nearly 400,000 visitors have brought a steady stream of chemical pollutants found in sunscreen into the water each year. This is causing the reefs in this bay to die. Sunscreen pollution present near these tropical tourism hot spots can see...

  The human Microbiome consists of all the microorganisms present in the human body at any given time. These microorganisms play a big role in the overall health of our bodies. Having a healthy microbiome is thought to translate to a physically healthy body that is less susceptible to disease or illness. Every single person has a unique microbiome as family genes, diet, environment, and medication can all affect its composition. However, as infants, we are all born with very similar microbiomes. What contributes to the drastic changes in our microbiomes when we all share a very similar gut microbiome as newborns?        In order to get a grasp of why our gut microbiomes are so unique, research was conducted on infant stool samples (fecal 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing) from non-industrialized populations (the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania). A lot is known about the infant microbiome from industrialized nations. However, there is very little known about the in...

  Abnormal nuclear morphology is a characteristic of many human diseases such as cancers and heart diseases. Identifying the abnormal shape of a nucleus was an early technique for the diagnosis of cancer, dating back to 1928 with the start of using the pap smear as screening for cervical cancer. It is important to investigate this common phenotype of the disease.   Chromatin histone modifications and rigidity affect nuclear morphology independent of lamins  (Stephens et. al.) discuss how chromatin state and lamin levels can impact nuclear blebbing.                 The nucleus is ellipsoidal in shape and its structure is provided by chromatin and lamins. Chromatin consists of DNA wrapped around histones and chromatin can be modified in multiple ways to be either in its decompacted state as euchromatin, or in its compact state as heterochromatin. Lamins are located in the periphery of the nucleus, just be...

Brain fog has existed for a long time. Many people experience it without knowing what it is. It can result from everything from lack of sleep to taking certain medications, even eating a large meal can cause it. Recently it has come up a lot more due to COVID-19. Brain fog can be one of the symptoms of long covid is brain fog. It is important for people to learn the symptoms and look for them if they have had COVID-19 since it can last for a long time.   Brain fog is marked by cloudy thoughts, trouble thinking clearly, forgetfulness, and difficulty completing basic tasks. Brain fog is usually short lived however occasionally can last a lot longer. There is currently no cure but there are ways to treat it. The best ways to treat it are getting a good night's sleep and aids to help remember tasks.   Brain fog can last a long time after an illness like COVID-19 or after a stress event. Some people may have to live with it for the rest of their lives. Using strategies to help with...

   As the start of the Fall 2022 semester takes hold, several college students are already beginning to feel the weight of their academic courses. Everything from tutors and workshops to free ice cream has been thrown about in a desperate attempt to relieve some if any stress from these overwhelmed college students’ lives. More recent research introduces a unique approach toward stress relief that may not only put an immediate grin on your face but also have lasting positive effects. The most effective way of reducing stress you may ask? Just a fuzzy friend with a wet nose!        In the article by  Science Daily , therapy dogs are described to be increasingly common in many colleges across the United States. Despite the obvious popular demand, Science Daily explains that new research reinforces a correlation between the mood of college students with their interaction with dogs.  The study  was conducted by asking 264 students to fi...

 This blog is a continuation of the Biologizing blog found at: http://biol312.blogspot.com