Contributions of the HeLa cell line to Science

Culturing of the HeLa cells led to the development of the Polio vaccine, our understanding of cancer and many viruses. Scientists even used them to understand the effects of the atomic bomb on human cells and also to study the effects of zero gravity on human cells.

In modern day science, the same cell line was involved in many research leading to cloning, gene mapping and invitro fertilization.

in reference to: Henrietta Lacks - Everything on Henrietta Lacks (information, latest news, articles,...) (view on Google Sidewiki)

Cold Stunned Turtles

I just want to add that the recent cold weather experienced around coastal North Carolina has caused many turtles to be cold stunned. I found it so interesting to note that the cold weather could have such an impact on these animals. Last information I got was that these cold stunned turtles were being kept at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) building next to the Marine Lab. #scio10

in reference to: Atlantic Sea Turtles: Field Trip Earth (view on Google Sidewiki)

'Y' men

Are men as primitive as most women think? New research has shown otherwise. According to an online article form the journal Nature this may not be so. Research has shown that the Y chromosome - the thing that makes a man male - is evolving far faster than the rest of the human genetic code.

According to a study comparing the Y chromosomes from humans and chimpanzees, our nearest living relatives, there is about a 30 per cent difference between the two which began some 6 million years ago, which is fairly recent when evolution is concerned.

This makes the Y chromosome the most rapidly evolving of all human chromosomes as stated by the articles co-author, Dr David Page who is also the director of the prestigious Whitehead Institute in Cambridge and a professor of Biology at MIT.

So what exactly would be the reason for such a rapid evolution? According to Page, there are two possible reasons, the first being that since the Y chromosome does not belong to a pair, when there is a mutation, there is no matching chromosome to recombine and essentially cover up the change. This is not so for women because they have 2 - X chromosomes and X chromosomes do not have this situation.

Another reason has to do with mating although this was suggested after careful observation of female chimps on heat. Female chimps on heat tend to mate more frequently and with many partners. This places an evolutionary pressure on the male to produce the most and best sperm to propagate his genes.

There is no apparent reason for this evolution in the male specie as yet but research is going on to better understand the Y chromosome of the male specie.

Another Giant into the Pots

Speaking of disappearing ocean giants and the need to educate people in densely populated areas, this 233 kilogram tuna was just sold for as hefty 16.3 million yen at the worlds largest fish market in Japan. That's $177,000 American Dollar's for a single fish!

But that's not all, Japan is the worlds largest sea-food consumer, consuming 80 per cent of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught, a whole lot of sushi indeed.

Sad Ending to Rare Giant of the Deep

A big catch by mackerel fishermen off the city of Donsol, Philippines yet, a terrible end to another great of the ocean. One we might never get to fully appreciate before there is none left.

Pictured here is a rare mega-mouth shark. According to the WWF-Philippines, this is only the 41st one to be recorded since its discovery in 1976 off Oahu, Hawaii. Updated records as of July 9th, 2009 showed a total of 47 megamouth sharks either sighted or caught. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_megamouth_shark_specimens_and_sightings

This is a creature so rare it has not been listed as an endangered species, however as simply 'data deficient' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

This 4 meter long, 500 kilogram beast met its fate in the fishing nets of local fishermen in March 2009. Whats interesting to note about the location where this beautiful but rare creature was caught is that it is part of the 'Coral Triangle' which spans Indonesia, Mayalsia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island and East Timor, this is said to be the home of the richest concentration of marine life in the world.

Sadly, the area this Coral Triangle spans covers some of the most densely populated and least developed places in the world today. The problem now is, how do we educate these people about the importance of these disappearing creatures? and for local fishermen like these, how do we compensate for the loss of their catch?......