Scientists just discovered that bacteria have a sense of touch Bacteria may not have a central or sensory nervous system as we know it, but they can still physically "feel" the world around them, according to a new study. It turns out the tiny microorganisms don't just respond to chemical signals - they also have a sense of touch, and can recognise surfaces and respond to them. Wow. Our sense of touch is a very important tool for living in the world. For bacteria, it helps them determine which type of surface they're in contact with - such as a mucous membrane or intestinal wall - and therefore colonise and attack host cells. It's what happens in the first few seconds after coming into contact with a surface that's crucial for successful infection, the researchers say. To explore the mechanism by which bacteria sense surfaces, they studied a harmless species called Caulobacter crescentus. "Using the non-pathogenic Caulobacter as a model, our group was able to show for the first time that bacteria have a 'sense of touch'.
There's a New Theory on How Life Evolves on a Basic Level In Brief Scientists have established a promising new theory that aims to make sense of molecular evolution. The study could have a major impact on how we look into the way proteins change over time. Protein Progress A study conducted by scientists from the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus in conjunction with the University College of London has established a new theory of molecular evolution. “The approach rests on understanding proteins as integrated systems,” said Richard Goldstein, co-author of the paper. Factors like the structure, function, and stability of proteins determine whether mutations in the molecules become fixed, or are eliminated. “This was a real surprise,” explained co-author David Pollock. New Theory of Molecular Evolution The results of this research project could solve years-old problems faced by scientists looking into molecular evolution.
Scientists just found a vital missing link in the origins of life on Earth Carbon might be the backbone of organic chemistry, but life on Earth wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for another critical member of the periodic table – phosphorus. Transforming run of the mill hydrocarbons into the kinds of molecules that include this important element is a giant evolutionary leap, chemically speaking. But now scientists think they know how such a vital step was accomplished. Researchers from The Scripps Research Institute in California have identified a molecule capable of performing phosphorylation in water, making it a solid candidate for what has until now been a missing link in the chain from lifeless soup to evolving cells. In the classic chicken and egg conundrum of biology's origins, debate continues to rage over which process kicked off others in order to get to life. Nobody has provided strong evidence in support of any particular agent that might have been responsible for making this happen to prebiotic compounds. Enter diamidophosphate (DAP).
Your Body Is Designed to Attack a New Organ, Now We Know Why - Videos Imagine waiting for a new lung or kidney transplant... you finally get one, go through intense surgery, and then after a few years, your body rejects that vital organ. Heartbreaking, right? Transplant rejection happens, and more often than you'd think. About 50% of all transplanted organs are rejected within 10-12 years. So, let's say you're getting a new kidney ... The adaptive immune system response is what you think of, when you think "immune system." Get 15% off Domain web hosting and domain names when you use coupon code SEEKER at checkout!
5 points que vous ignoriez peut-être sur les seins Les seins sont un des attributs féminins les plus appréciés par l’homme. Voici quelques points méconnus sur la poitrine féminine, un passage en revue effectué à l’aide du Dr Elizabeth Paganelli, secrétaire générale du Syngof et gynécologue médicale dans la ville de Tours. 1. Les deux seins ne font pas la même taille En effet, les deux seins des femmes ne sont pas égaux par rapport à la taille (et donc au poids). Il peut s’agir parfois d’une importante différence de taille, nous avons alors une asymétrie majeure des seins, qui peut être soulagée par de la chirurgie esthétique. 2. « Lors des règles, le gonflement est lié aux taux d’œstrogènes et de progestérone qui varient au cours du cycle menstruel » selon le Dr Paganelli. Les seins peuvent grossir en peu de temps, souvent en période pré-menstruelle et au début des règles. 3. Les femmes ne sont pas les seules à être exposées au cancer du sein : près de 1 % des hommes le sont. 4. 5. Sources : Medisite — Le Journal de Montréal
L'argent colloïdal antibiotique interdit L'antibiotique d'avant... les antibiotiques L'argent colloïdal fut utilisé par les médecins de manière intensive pendant près d'un demi-siècle jusqu'au début des années 40. Tombé dans les oubliettes de l'histoire après l'invention des antibiotiques de synthèse, il fait un retour en force depuis que ces derniers semblent en passe de perdre la guerre contre l'infection. Lire aussi L’argent colloïdal contre les bactéries multi-résistantes Les utilisations médicales de l'argent dans l'histoire Les propriétés germicides et bactéricides de l'Argent-métal sont connues depuis l'Antiquité. Pourquoi ne pas avoir choisi un autre métal, moins onéreux : nos ancêtres avaient compris qu'ingérer ainsi régulièrement d'infimes particules d'argent contribuait à renforcer l'immunité vis-à-vis de certaines maladies. Albert Schweitzer, la Nasa ou les hôpitaux américains sont-ils des empoisonneurs ? Le bien fondé de ces pratiques populaires a été démontré par les recherches modernes. Faut-il rappeler que :
Could Magnets Take The Place Of Antibiotics When It Comes To Sepsis? When would these life-saving magnets come into play? Well, hopefully you've never had to experience sepsis, but it's a common condition that afflicts over 200,000 Americans every year (and according to the Mayo Clinic, this number is increasing). When you have an illness like pneumonia or a kidney infection, there's a chance that the chemicals your body releases into your bloodstream for fighting the infection will trigger inflammation. This inflammation turns into sepsis, prompting a plethora of complications throughout your body. Related: Neodymium Magnets Are Dangerously Strong Here are the symptoms of all three stages of sepsis: 1. 2. 3. If septic shock becomes severe enough, blood can flood your vital organs or create blood clots in your organs and extremities. Related: How One Man's Blood Saved 2 Million Babies
Donor organs created by dissolving and rebuilding pig livers Miromatrix By Clare Wilson Will we ever be able to grow transplant organs like the heart, lungs and liver on demand? A method that uses pig organs as scaffolding for creating new organs suggests it may be possible. In an effort to tackle lengthy waiting lists for organ transplants, researchers have been trying several approaches for creating replacement organs. Now an in-between method is taking off. Advertisement Until now this technique – dubbed “decel/recel” – has been mainly investigated for small or thin structures such as layers of skin because it is hard to dissolve away the inside a large organ. Protein scaffold So far, the team at Miromatrix has only created new whole livers with pig cells rather than human cells. They managed to decellularise whole livers by pumping detergent through the blood vessel network of the organ, so it reaches everywhere. The liver scaffold is then reinfused with new cells, pumped through the same blood vessel network. Transplant hope More on these topics:
La sténose du pylore Les symptômes Votre nourrisson : a moins de 3 mois et vomit en jet (il ne fait pas que régurgiter); est peut-être constipé. Demandez une aide médicale d’urgence (9-1-1) si votre bébé : présente des signes de déshydratation. Qu’est-ce que la sténose du pylore? La sténose du pylore est caractérisée par des régurgitations occasionnelles qui évoluent rapidement vers des vomissements en jets successifs, au fur et à mesure que le muscle du pylore se contracte. Le pylore est un petit muscle situé à la sortie de l’estomac. Sa cause est inconnue, mais on sait qu’il existe une prédisposition génétique et qu’elle est de 3 à 4 fois plus fréquente chez les garçons que chez les filles. Comment traiter? Une palpation ou une échographie de l’abdomen permettent de confirmer le diagnostic. Comment prévenir? Il n’est pas possible de prévenir la sténose du pylore.
Un monstre des mers du Jurassique mis au jour en Inde Les ossements qui ont récemment été mis au jour dans le nord de l'Inde appartenaient à un « monstre marin » de la taille d'un petit bateau qui évoluait dans les profondeurs des eaux sombres il y a plus de 150 millions d'années. Le nouveau fossile est un squelette quasi intact d'un ichtyosaure, un groupe de reptiles marins qui terrorisaient les mers au temps des dinosaures. Ces animaux étaient les dauphins ou les baleines de leur temps : de sveltes créatures friandes de poissons, aux grands yeux, petites mâchoire et aux dents pointues. L'ichtyosaure découvert en Inde aurait vécu il y a 152 à 157 millions d'années ; c'est le premier monstre marin du Jurassique à avoir été découvert dans la région. Annoncée le 25 octobre dans la revue PLOS ONE, la découverte du fossile va permettre aux paléontologues de mieux comprendre l'expansion des ichtyosaures dans l'ancien monde. Guntupalli V.R. Prasad a rapidement réalisé l'ampleur de la découverte.
The very first living thing is still alive inside each one of us By Bob Holmes SOME 4 billion years ago, somewhere in the mass of inert minerals and molecules that made up our wet, rocky planet, dead became alive. This was the most important chemical transformation ever to happen on Earth. Not only did it give rise to all the living things that have ever existed, it also altered the chemistry of the oceans, the land and the atmosphere above. That first chemical step towards life may be a lot closer than we thought. Until now, most efforts to understand how life began have attacked the problem from the bottom up. The new approach starts with modern life and works backwards.