How You Handle Lack of Sleep May Be in Your Genes

MONDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Why is it that two people can be equally sleep-deprived, and yet the next day one person ends up feeling more tired and listless than the other?

The answer could be in their genes, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that healthy individuals who test positive for a common gene variant are sleepier and more fatigued after being sleep-deprived than people who don't. The variant is related to narcolepsy, which causes excess daytime sleepiness, but previous studies have shown that up to one-third of people who test positive for the gene are considered normal, healthy sleepers.

"This particular gene, which is carried by roughly 30 percent of the population, may be a biomarker for predicting how someone will respond to getting too little sleep," said study author Namni Goel, an assistant professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

"This study provides hard evidence that genes can play a key role in determining how we respond to sleep deprivation," said Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, chief of sleep medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Keep in mind that the kind of sleep deprivation examined in this study, so-called 'partial sleep deprivation,' is not just a lab technique, it's something that happens to millions of people, for a variety of reasons," he added. "And this genetic marker is common. So we're talking about a lot of people that this study potentially describes."

For the study, which was published in the Oct. 26 issue of Neurology, Goel and her colleagues studied 92 healthy adults without the gene variant and 37 healthy adults who had the gene variant but did not have any sleep disorders. For the first two nights, they spent 10 hours in bed and were fully rested. The next five nights they underwent chronic partial sleep deprivation, where they were allowed four hours in bed per night. During the remaining time, lights were kept on and participants could read, play games or watch movies to help them stay awake.

During the study, the researchers measured the participants' sleep quality and self-rated sleepiness, and also tested their memory, attention and ability to resist sleep during the daytime. The people with the gene variant were sleepier and more fatigued whether they were fully rested or sleep-deprived, and their sleep was more fragmented. For example, during the fifth night of sleep deprivation, those with the gene variant woke up, on average, almost four times, while those without the variant woke up, on average, twice.

The people with the gene variant had a lower desire to sleep during the fully rested nights. And they also spent less time in deep sleep than those without the variant, during both the fully rested and sleep-deprived nights, the investigators found.

There was no difference in how the two groups performed on tests of memory and attention after being sleep-deprived, and there was also no difference in their ability to resist sleep during the daytime. One possible explanation for these particular findings is that "there might be different genetic variants that regulate physiological responses to sleep deprivation versus how people are able to perform," Goel said.

"Sometimes, people rate themselves as feeling fine and yet their performance is terrible, or vice versa," Goel explained. She added that more studies are needed to replicate these findings in other populations, as well as to identify other possible biomarkers that can explain why some people seem to be particularly resistant to the ravages of sleep deprivation.

The authors of an editorial accompanying the study said the findings "are particularly important in individuals involved in shift work and transcontinental travel," and noted that they hoped the research would lead to new treatments to minimize or eliminate the effects in people who respond poorly to sleep deprivation.

"There's always a tendency for people to make judgments about someone who sleeps until noon, and say they're lazy or something," said editorial co-author Dr. Amit Verma, medical director of The Methodist Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center in Houston. "But what this study highlights is that if you're sleepier than your friend or your spouse after being sleep-deprived, there may actually be a genetic reason."

Wow. How much do are genes affect the way we are. What if are genes could do more then affect how we look and how are body works. Can genes affect the way we act. Genes affect our eye color, hair color, and our build so why doesn't it surprise me that it can affect the way we handle things.

Chelsea H.

Human Growth Horomone: Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis?

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203409.php

Researches have found that human growth horomones may be able to help in treatmen and in cure for CF. Reports have shown that human growth horomones can help increase weight and height for a patient with CF. By increasing height and weight lung function and bone strength can help improve the conditon of CF victims. Many families of people with CF hope this could be the cure. But having the growth horomone treatment can increase blood sugar and cause diabetes.

I think, after reading this article, that human growth horomon trearment seems to be a logical way of curing CF. With CF, patients suffer from air way blockage. If the airways can be streatched by adding height or weight to the patient, the function of the lungs would improve greatly. The strengthening of the bones would make the patient an all around stronger person and make the disease easier to handle. I hope that after appropriate testing, the growth horomones prove to be a straight cure for CF.

JoAnne J.

iPad -Carries Flu?

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/viral-hit-flu-season-in-the-age-of-the-ipad-and-touchscreen/19674337

This article talks about the upcoming flu season. Most people think that this would have nothing to do with the iPad, and other touch screen devices, but it has alot to do with it. Many doctors are worried that germs are being spread from sharing their touch screens with other people. This article also comes with a video to show people how to disinfect their iPads, iPhones, and iPods. The most important point that this article gets across is that we should be very cautious this flu season.

I believe this article is very helpful to the public. Many people have devices with touch screens and they need to be told the precautions to take this flu season. Also if everyone who had one of these devices cleaned it daily then maybe the risk of getting an airborne virus would lessen. The video also comes in handy for those who want to know how to clean their device properly. Hopefully people will consider this article, and help make the flu a smaller problem.

Orchid tricks hoverflies-Hannah Moerk

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-10/mpif-oth101410.php

Summary:

Orchids are often described as exotic ornamentals, but even more they are exotic due to their extraordinary and diverse flower morphology. Orchids depend on the assistance of pollinators, and like other plants attracts insects. Scientists have recently discovered that the Epipactis veratrifolia has specialized in hoverflies. Because its insects prefer aphids as food for their larvae, the orchid produces 3 aphid alarm substances, all of which attract hoverfly females. When there are females, soon enough the males also start coming around. Have the plants always had this ability, and how does their mechanism affect the food chain in general?

Opinion:

The ability that the orchids have is basically an extreame form of adaptation. Knowing what the insects perfer and deciding to produce this aphid is a form of mutualism. To the food chain, this means an increase in the hoverflies, but with this type of orchid only living in certain midddle eastern areas, scientists do not think this will have dramatic effects on the ecosystem. The Epipactis veratrifolia has just recently began this adaptation that we know of, and it will be interesting to see if it starts to produce other food besides this kind of aphid. Aswell, it will be interesting to see if only this type of orchid can produce food the hoverflies perfer, or if other types of orchids can also produce different food.

Health Buzz: Gene Therapy Could Treat Depression, Study Says

Yahoo.com
By Angela Haupt Angela Haupt – Thu Oct 21, 4:43 pm ET

Gene Therapy Alleviates Depression in Mice

Gene therapy could eventually be used to treat mental illnesses such as depression, new research suggests. Depressed people often have low levels of the protein p11 in the reward center of their brain, and fixing the gene that produces those proteins could alleviate depressive symptoms, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine. Researchers studied mice that lacked p11 and acted depressed: When they were held up by their tails, they did not struggle to get away. After a p11-producing gene was injected into the animals' brains, however, they began fighting for their own survival, Bloomberg reports. The therapy is currently being tested on monkeys, and if it's successful, the researchers will seek approval to test it in humans within the next two years. "We potentially have a novel therapy to target what we now believe is one root cause of human depression," study author Michael Kaplitt said in a statement to reporters.

--Should You Join a Research Study? 9 Tips for Volunteers in Clinical Trials

--14 Medical Pioneers Who Aren't Holding Back

HRT for Symptom Relief Vs. Breast Cancer Risks

Women taking hormone replacement therapy to combat hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms may be wondering whether to flush their pills after hearing the latest frightening news. Not only does one popular brand raise the risk of breast cancer, but it raises the risk of being diagnosed with a more aggressive tumor that's more likely to kill them, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Many experts believed that breast cancers caused by hormone therapy tended to be slower-growing and less life-threatening, but this new finding suggests otherwise. It also suggests that the increased breast cancer risk lingers even years after women go off the hormones, writes U.S. News's Deborah Kotz. "These appear to be long-standing effects," says Peter Bach, an epidemiologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York who wrote an editorial that accompanied the study. "We don't know if the risks ever reverse."

The new finding is based on a clinical trial involving more than 16,000 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79; they were randomly assigned to take hormones or placebos for several years until the trial, called the Women's Health Initiative, was abruptly halted in 2002 due to initial data indicating that the risks of taking hormones--such as strokes, heart disease, and breast cancer--outweighed the benefits. Since then, researchers have continued to follow nearly 13,000 of the WHI participants, which led to this week's breast cancer finding. [Read more: HRT for Symptom Relief Vs. Breast Cancer Risks.]

--How to Safely Combat Menopause Symptoms With Hormone Therapy

--Hormones Linked to Ovarian Cancer: What to Do

Never Too Early for a Child's Hearing Test

Hearing tests for newborns are becoming more common, but not all states require them, even though the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the government's panel of independent health experts, recommended universal screening in 2008. But skipping newborn hearing tests does increase the risk that children with hearing loss will suffer developmental delays by age 5, according to research published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Newborns can't let anyone know if they are hearing or not, so newborn tests detect otoacoustic emissions--basically, sound that bounces off the cochlea in the baby's inner ear and is picked up by a small microphone. Another test, the auditory brainstem response test, picks up signals from the auditory nerve through electrodes attached to the baby's scalp, writes U.S. News correspondent Nancy Shute. The tests are painless, but cost and time are an issue, as they are for all universal medical tests. An older method, called distraction testing, can't be done until a child is at least 6 months old. With that method, testers watch a child while making a noise to see if the child turns in the direction of the noise.

Summary
Depressed people often have low levels of the protein p11 in the reward center of their brain, and fixing the gene that produces those proteins could alleviate depressive symptoms, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine. Researchers studied mice that lacked p11 and acted depressed: When they were held up by their tails, they did not struggle to get away. After a p11-producing gene was injected into the animals' brains, however, they began fighting for their own survival, Bloomberg reports. The therapy is currently being tested on monkeys, and if it's successful, the researchers will seek approval to test it in humans within the next two years. "We potentially have a novel therapy to target what we now believe is one root cause of human depression," study author Michael Kaplitt said in a statement to reporters.


* I think that if there is away to help people who are depressed then great. Hundreds of people die a year because there depressed . If there wasn't a lot of depression then less people will be killing them selfs. I feel bad though for the rats that are test subjects for our advancements in science because they are born to only be test subjects what did they do wrong? Unlock the emotions will unlock the soul is what my mom all ways said.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/21/malarial_mosquitoes_are_evolving_into_new_species_say_researchers.html

There are two types of mosquitoes found to cause Malaria. There both native to Africa. There are genetic differences but are mostly the same. Over 200 million people are infected with malaria world wide. Majority of the 200 million are from Africa. A child in the world dies every 30 seconds because of Malaria.

If we can find the thing causing Malaria. We might be able to find a anti-virus and eventually find a cure. This comes from sub-Saharan Africa where these types of Mosquitoes mainly live. There also finding ways to control the population of these different types of mosquito's. I think this is great for our world including the 200 million infected with malaria already.

A virus that can be Cancer's terrorist.

SUMMERY
At Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Georgetown University, scientists are studying the Reovirus. It can cause short episodes of coughing or diarrhea in some victims. But, if inside a specific type of tumor cell, the virus spreads like gangbusters. The virus cells use the tumor as a host and cause the cell to pop, literally exploding. Scientists are studing ways to alter the cell so it will leave healthy cells alone and only infect tumorus cells. They are now distributing these test samples to see if the cancer shrinks and if there are any serious side-effects.

OPINION
When i read the article's title, I imediately thought of the movie "I Am Legend", but reading on, the article was very interesting. If the virus can be directed to only the cancerous cells then I don't see any reason why this shouldn't become a regular form of treatment. It seems to work similarly to any other injection, if it is by injection. Using a virus to stop you from contracting something much worse. the title of the article is fitting: A Redeeming Role for a Common Virus.

BRITTANY BURNS
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/20/a_redeeming_role_for_a_common_virus.html

When vertebrae cross dress: How sloths got their long neck

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/18/when_vertebrae_cross_dress_how_sloths_got_their_long_neck.html


Summary

From out of 5000 species of mammals, three toed sloths are one of the few that have more than 7 vertebrae in their neck. They can have up to ten vertebrae. Scientists at the university of cambridge are investigating the development in the mamals skeleton. The bottom "neck" vertebrae of sloths are developmentally the same as ribcage vertebrae of other mammals, but lack ribs. Bone formation started earlier in sloths than in other mammals.


Opionion

I think this is interesting because it pertains to me. Also, I never would have guessed sloths would be so different. I always thought they were boring and not interesting, but I was proved wrong. It's extremely interesting and shocking how three toed sloths have more vertebrae in the neck than giraffes. It's also very different how sloths lack ribs.

Zach Vaughn

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/21/berkeley_lab_scientists_open_electrical_link_to_living_cells.html

Summary:
Scientists with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have designed an electrical link to living cells engineered to shuttle electrons across a cell's membrane to an external acceptor along a well-defined path. The Channels could yeild that could read and resond electron signals. Electronics capable of self-replication and repair, or efficiently transfer sunlight into electricity.

Opionion.
My opionion is that i this is some what pointless. It's cool and everything but there is no point behind it. I dont see how it helps humanity. They say it help produce more pharmaceutical drugs but i dont think that is a very big deal. I think that we should be working on bigger things such as better cures for cancer. Thats my opionon on electrons in living things to non-living things.

Bighorn Canyon And Lovell Wyoming Recycle

http://www.nps.gov/bica/parknews/bighorn-canyon-and-lovell-wyoming-recycle.htm

In the early parts of this year, Del Weinhold started a recycling program at Lovell Middle School in Lovell Wyoming. As the amount of products coming to the trailers incresed he added a new trailer specificly for cardboard because the cardboard took up too much room in the one trailer and in began to overflow. With to two trailers now he averages about 600 pounds in carboard per trip, which is every other week and 1500-2000 pounds on the recycling trailer per week. Now that the project is so big, it is managed bu the National Park Service and as of now over 52000 pounds have been recycled.

In my opinion I think this project is good because most people probably just throw things in the trash that can be recycled but now they have somewhere they can take it. Also now that the National Park Service runs the project I think that they could get more publicity and over National Parks might start projects similar to this. I also think that it is cool how they included a list of what can and can not be recycled.

Polar Bears Eating Goose Eggs

Polar bears are on the threatened list for the United States' Endangered Species Act. The arctic is melting away more and more every year. They have been forced to find other food sources, one being snow goose eggs. They have been seen eating them whole or crushing them and eating the contents. Although, the eggs are not enough energy for them unless they eat about 34 nests of snow goose eggs.

I think it is wonderful that they have found another source for food. But what will happen to the snow geese? I think they need to find more food sources because the geese will soon die out. The polar bears are getting their energy from fat reserves now. All the polar bears will eventually die but we need to do as much as we can now to help them.

http://www.macroevolution.net/polar-bears.html

UM conservation biology symposium speaker urges accounting for pollution

http://missoulian.com/news/local/489edbdc-dcc0-11df-a5ad-001cc4c002e0.html

This article is about how energy can impact our environment over the next few decades. People who support business and the environment stumble upon the topic of climate change. However, a speaker for a symposium in Missoula, MT says that energy will become a major industry in the future. Although energy consumption is expected to grow tremendously in the next 30 to 40 years, it will also produce more pollution. Mike Philips, a state legislator from Bozeman, MT, believes that we need to factor enviromental costs into an energy policy to making the environment safer.

In my opinion, I believe our country needs to be more concerned about conserving energy. Pollution has destroyed many of our ecosystems. Energy is useful, but it's wasted just like water. The government needs to take a stand in order to protect this country. The only problem is, it's all about business and the benefit of it.

Why are men more susceptible to alcoholism?

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/18/why_are_men_more_susceptible_to_alcoholism.html

Men are more likely to become alcoholics than women because of a hormone in the body called dopamine. Dopamine has a pleasurable affect on the body that is released during exciting events. During a study where male and female drinkers consumed alcohol, it was found that men released a greater amount of dopamine than women. The increase of dopamine in males was found in an area of the brain that is associated with pleasure, reinforcement and addiction formation. This shows that men carry a greater risk of forming an addiction to alcohol due to the release of dopamine.

This information is exciting because it is a step foward in alcholism research. In my opinion, finding out that men are more prone to alcohol than women is very interesting. Finding this out could reduce the number of alcoholics in the world. Alcoholism leads to many other problems such as domestic abuse, child abuse, drug abuse, and fatalities due to drunk driving. Reducing the number of alcoholics will make our world a much safer and happy environment for everyone.

Summary :
This Cell reaper is really dangerous, it is able to go into the Mitochondria and almost shut it down. We all know the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell (also the one part every one remembers). Damage to this causes damage to the whole cell its self. Cells killing themselves like this can cause damage to brain cells. If this continues it could cause some serious damage.

Opinion:
This is really dangerous! Cells dieing like this can cause major damage to our brain cells or destroy them completely. I think and hope scientist continue to study this and try to figure it all out. Hopefully they will be able to stop it before it becomes a major problem.

Shelby G
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/20/reaper_protein_strikes_at_mitochondria_to_kill_cells.html

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/20/reaper_protein_strikes_at_mitochondria_to_kill_cells.html

5 Sentence Summary

Our cells require a team of molecules to prevent them from "committing suicide." The Reaper protein interferes with molecules that keep the cells from killing themselves. The Reaper just announces the death of the cell kinda like the Grim Reaper, but it doesn't kill the cell itself. Scientists also discovered that the reaper must ravel into the mitochondria of the cell to deliver its death sentence. Reaper also works with Hid and Grim as well.

5 Sentence Opinion

I think this is really interesting especially since I know what most of these words mean. I think it is also cool because we have been talking about the parts of the cell in class. I also think it is interesting how it targets the mitochondria and thats it. I also think the way it interacts with other proteins and molecules to deliver its "Death Sentence". If we could learn to control the Reaper then we could use it to get rid of bad cells or infected cells and we could keep the ones we need.

Malarial Evolution

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101020151324.htm

Recently, scientists at the Imperial College London have discovered something that could potentially be very dangerous to us; the evolution of mosquitoes. What the scary thing is, the mosquitoes that are evolving are mosquitoes that carry malaria. In the branch of Division of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Imperial College London, scientists have been doing tests to see how exactly the mosquitoes are evolving. The tests they performed were to analyze the genomes of the two strains, M and S, of the malarial mosquito. The first test resulted in findings that the two strains are far different than each other; and in the second test, they studied individual mosquitoes from the M and S strains, and also from a strain called Bamako, and found over 400,000 things that were different in their genetics, so that they could see how these mosquitoes are evolving. The second study explained that the two strains of mosquitoes are evolving in different ways, so with this, scientists are worried and have noted that the bugs are evolving quicker than they once thought.

I saw this article on Science Daily, and thought to myself, 'Oh, this would be cool to read!' So, I began to read and was quickly frightened. Even though I don't know much about malaria, I know enough that it's very harmful, and that it causes one of every five deaths in people; mainly children. But since the bugs are evolving quicker than what scientists had originally thought, I was wondering to myself, 'Are the mosquitoes going to carry the malaria over here? How badly will this affect America and its citizens?' Although, what's reassuring to me, is that the scientists over in London are taking action and seeing how they can control the population, and although the fact that the bugs are evolving is intimidating, with scientists taking action I'm not as worried as I would be if they just neglected the fact.

'Reaper' protein strikes at mitochondria to kill cells

\'Reaper\' protein strikes at mitochondria to kill cells

Once again there is another evoloution in the cell world. not only has this evoloution became smarter but more deadly to your cells. the "reaper protien" has begun to attack what we once thought the powerhouse of the cell the mitochondria. the reaper protein is breaking down the mitochondria to attack other parts of the cell. scientist are lead to beleive that the reaper protein isnt killing the cell but simply trying to break the mitchondria down to allow other ways of destroying the cell, something only seen in things like cancer,aids and other world renown killers.

Torre Davis

"reaper" protein strikes mitochondria to kill cells!

Scientist discovered a "reaper" cell trying to kill other cells through the mitochondria, or powerhouse of the cells. Our cells can commit suicide but we have special team of molecules to prevent them from "pulling the trigger." If the cells kill themselves, it can destroy brain cells. "Like the grim reaper, Reaper is an announcer of death, but not the executioner." This "reaper" cell is trying to force the cells to die but it's actually not the one killing them.

My opinion: This can be really bad! If our cells die, it can affect our brain cells and even destroy them. Scientists should keep studying and figure out what is actually killing these cells. The cells are trying to kill other cells through the Mitochondria because it is the powerhouse and provides energy to the body.

How Injured Nerves Grow Back

The peripheral nerves can regenerate a lot faster than most would think. But it is not as easy as one would assume. Peripheral cells are long, the nucleus is in the spinal cord and the axons that extend out go all the way down to the leg. When a nerve gets cut, all the axons downstream degenerate. The regrowth requires the two ends to somehow find each other through the damaged tissue. The cells, called Schwann cells, are very important to this process. The Schwann cells are normally found wrapped around the axons. The Schwann cells usually are called the 'quiet' cells due to the lack of work they have to do, except for when an injury occurs. Their role is basically bridging the gap in the wound to close it up.

This article was very complex for my mood, but it made me feel a lot more informed about how my body heals during an injury. There are cells that I never even heard of until I read this article. I honestly think it's an article for the class to read since we went over cells and things.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/09/28/how_injured_nerves_grow_themselves_back.html

'Reaper' protein strikes at mitochondria to kill cells

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/20/reaper_protein_strikes_at_mitochondria_to_kill_cells.html
LOOK AT BLINK-182

This can be a very good thing when dangerous cells are permitted to kill themselves. Its good when cells that are cancerous self-destruct. But, its bad when cells destroy themselves and they are something we need like memories. Scientists will enable them eventually to manipulate the process to kill the cells we want to kill and protect the ones we don't.Reaper interferes with molecules called inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs).Reaper essentially takes the brakes off the process of apoptosis.

I think its shocking to know that our cells do this. I did not know that they could destroy themselves and cripple some parts of our bodies that we need. I also think it would be a good idea for scientists to control this because its not always good that they explode

Dinosaurs even bigger than previously thought

Summary- Scientist now believe that dinosaurs are taller because they had thick cartilage in their joints. Dinosaur bones are different from the bones of mammals. Dinosaur bones have rounded ends and no obvious way to connect to one another. The bones without the cartilage are 4 to 10 percent smaller. Aligators' and ostrichs' bones have 6 to 10 percent cartilage.

Opinion- I wonder how they didn't know this before. I hope that now that they now this that they will be able to make better perdictions. I think that they are ........um.......cool. My cousin was obsessed with dinosaurs when he was little. I hope they get it right this time.





http://www.macroevolution.net/dinosaurs.html

New images of the influenza A virus, whose strains cause the seasonal flu and the H1N1 "swine" flu, have revealed its Achilles' heel, researchers say, and the finding could lead to a targeted drug that can fight all strains of the virus.
The weakness stems from a basic structure in all flu viruses, called the M2 channel, which is key in helping the virus reproduce.

About four years ago, a tiny change occurred in this channel, the researchers said, making flu drugs such as amantadine and rimantadine ineffective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped recommending using the drugs to fight the flu.
"We think we can pin down the types of changes that could occur, and find drugs for all" strains of flu, said study researcher David Busath, a biophysicist at Brigham Young University in Utah.
The finding helps researchers understand why the virus isn't susceptible to the old influenza drugs anymore, Busath said.
With a drug developed to target this particular channel, "you could be safe tomorrow," Busath said.
Health highlights
When it comes to video games, some people don’t let anything stand between them and a high score. Not even bystanders, it seems, who are turning out to be the collateral damage in the quest for video game greatness.

The flu virus is mutating and changing all the time, which is why there must be a new flu vaccine every year to accommodate the new mutations, he said. But every flu virus has an M2 channel, and it must work properly for the virus to infect a host.
"It turns out there's only a small handful of changes, in the heart of the channel, that still allow the virus to work well," Busath said. "And if it can't work, the virus can't reproduce. And we know all of the possible changes that allow it to work."
Previous images of influenza A didn't reveal the changes in the M2 channel, making it hard for scientists to develop a drug that could effectively target the structure.
Because the structures of the virus are so tiny, Busath and researchers from Florida State University used a technique called solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance — which is similar to an MRI, but used on atoms and molecules — to get a refined view of the flu's structure.
"We have some new theories to test for possible compounds that would work on the M2 [channel], and we're excited to try them out," Busath told MyHealthNewsDaily.
The imaging technique the researchers used could also be used to provide images of the proteins in plasma membranes in the nervous system, he said.


Scientists have used new images of the influenza virus to better learn it’s weaknesses and find out more about it. The Influenza virus is what causes the H1N1 and seasonal flu. The weakness is from the M2 channel which helps it reproduce. They discovered a change in it which leads them to try and predict future changes that may occur in the virus so they can create a drug to treat all strains.
I personally find this article informative and exciting. The possibility of treating all strains of influenza is a rather interesting concept considering how much of a scare it’s caused in the past. It would certainly be a revolutionary break through in the medical field. It would also decrease mortality rate especially for people with auto-immune diseases. I’m very thrilled to see how this breakthrough affects the medical field in the future.

Biologists hope new 'condos' will help Galapagos penguins stave off extinction

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/19/biologist_hopes_new_condos_will_help_galapagos_penguins_stave_off_extinction.html

Summary – This article is about how scientists have built penguin nests in the rocks of the Galapagos Islands to create a safe, sheltered place where the endangered Galapagos penguins can breed. The penguins’ population has declined steadily within the past 40 years, and it is estimated that only 2,000 remain. Therefore, it is important that they find the new nests and begin breeding, since at this time, they have a lot of food coming in from La Niña. Also, the scientists made sure to build nests where there aren’t introduced predators, which have played a big role in the penguins’ population decline. The scientists aren’t yet sure whether the penguin’s will be able to find the nests in time, but they will check back later to make observations.

Opinion – I think this is amazing!!! I have always really loved penguins and I am really glad that people are taking steps to prevent their population from declining. If the penguins were to go extinct, it could cause severe changes in the whole Galapagos Islands ecosystem. I think that this was a good time to build the nests as well, because now the penguins will have shelter and a lot of food from La Niña. Something I thought was a little strange in this article was that it said the penguins’ population was going down because of predators, and it listed pigs as one of the predators. I think that’s weird because I never heard of carnivore pigs, but other than that this is a great article.

Coral Records Show Ocean Thermocline Rise with Global Warming

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/13/coral_records_show_ocean_thermocline_rise_with_global_warming.html

Researchers working in the Western Tropical Pacific Ocean have found that the thermocline rises with global warming. After, first, trying to measure the currents under the sea by studying the movement of coral, they came to the conclusion that, since the thermocline is changing, it is impossible to measure the currents over time in a broad area. They, instead, used soft coral as a substitute to measure the change in the thermocline over time. The researchers took data from three different depths of the ocean they measured the chemical structure of the coral skeleton that had built up over time. When they cut slices through the coral “trunks” they found that there were rings, similar to that of a tree trunk. The researchers assembled a growth chart covering the last century, and focused on the ratio between two isotopes of nitrogen in the material to get an idea of the rise and fall in the thermocline over time. After this research, they found that it had no effect on the thermocline. Researches plan on testing different samples of coral from different locations.

In my opinion, this research is fascinating. I love to hear about new theories and the conclusions that scientists come to after collecting tons of research. Finding out new things and how they relate to science is exciting to me, and I think it should be to everyone. I think it would be fun to research under water and conducting tests on coral. The trial and error method to find the solution to something is one of my favorite things to do, and maybe someday that will aid me in my line of work (as it did for the researchers testing to find the best way to measure the thermocline).

Rare Yoda Bat Spotted in Papua New Guinea Lost World

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/rare-yoda-bat-spotted-in-papua-new-guineas-lost-world/19664837

Papua New Guinea, also known as “Lost World” in the most remote areas, is where scientists from Conservation International have released their discovery of many fascinating creatures. Scientists have discovered about 200 new species, including 24 frogs, two mammals, 100 spiders, and many types of spiders. The best find of all, however, was the rarely-before-seen tube-nosed fruit bat. This animal looks similar to Yoda (from the Star Wars Saga) having the same bizarre nose and pointy ears, but the bat is a winged mammal instead of a little green man that is hundreds of years old. This shows us that we know very little about the animal world that holds new discoveries, but we are in risk of losing the animals to extinction.

This article stood out to me because of the title “Rare Yoda Bat…” because I love the Star Wars Saga. I think this a fascinating discovery in the animal world and I love reading about new animals. I agree with the scientists that there is a risk of extinction for these amazing creatures, and the most disappointing part is that some will die out before we even discover them. The tube-nosed fruit bat looks very similar to Yoda from Star Wars and I think it is one of the awesomest things I have ever seen. I love watching shows about scientists that hunt for new species in a region, and I can’t wait for the next cool creature.

T Cell Discovery Shows Promise for Type 1 Diabetes Treatment

A team of researchers have identified how a type of T cell can offer new treatment opportunities for young patients. Type 1 diabetes mostly affects children and young adults. It is when the body attacks itself and the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that regulate glucose are destroyed. T cells are white blood cells and very important in protecting your immune system from viruses. The Th17 cells are elevated in these patients which can also lead to other diseases.

I agree that the discovery of Th17 cells are a key to treatment for younger patients. Without our immune system we would always be getting sick. Although these cells are a treatment option, they can also create other problems. I know many people with type 1 diabetes and they keep it under control but some need other treatment options. I do not think that researchers will come with the cure immediately, but I do believe it is coming.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101005085120.htm

Hair Fertilizer?

We have heard of farmyard compost and animal waste used as plant food. However, recent research has shown that human hair, combined with compost can be used as a nutrient source for plants. In an experiment conducted with lettuce, yellow poppy, feverfew and wormwood, the crop yield was more in plants treated with hair waste and compost. However, the yield was low in case of plants treated with only hair waste. So, the conclusion of the research is that hair waste is a potential source of nutrients for plants, provided that it is used along with other fertilizers.

Ben snider

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/biology-current-events.html

Voracious comb jellyfish 'invisible' to prey

Even with its primitive structure, the North American comb jellyfish can sneak up on its prey with out it even noticing , making it a successful predator. The North American comb jellyfish's scientific name is Mnemiopsis leidyi. Like many other jellyfish, The North American comb jellyfish has a large gelatinous body. Researchers have used advanced video technology to study water flows around and within the comb jellyfish. The measurements were used to calculate the water deformation generated by the jellyfish and compare this with the levels that trigger an escape response in copepods.
I do not really have an opinion on this matter, however i do find it very interesting that it can catch prey without it even noticing its there.
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/13/voracious_comb_jellyfish_invisible_to_prey.html
Josh Grix

Dogs may be pessimistic too- Hannah Moerk

Summary:
Dogs are very similar to humans in many ways. They have personalities, different moods, and react differently according to the situation. Recent studies have shown that many dogs that turn anxious when left alone, also tend to show a "pessimistic" like behavior. So how does a dog show a "pessimistic" like behavior? Well one way that scientists have studied this, is through a "dog bowl" test, in which dogs either choose to go, or not to go to the dog bowl, depending on whether it is empty or not.

Opinion:
What have recent studies proven about dog's attitude? To sum things up, dogs like humans are all different. Some may tend to be more optimistic/pessimistic with their owner around, others when they are left alone. No studies can actually read what is going on inside a dog's mind, but we can make predictions depending on the dog's environment, breed, gender, etc. This article really got me thinking about the characteristics and traits of dogs compared to humans and how truly similar we are.

http://www.physorg.com/news206018785.html

Jelly Fish!!

The North American comb jellyfish Mnemiopsis leidyi has long been known to consume vast quantities of zooplankton. A few years ago the species became established in Northern Europe. Like lots of Jelly fish it has a large jelly like body. It’s size helps it catch prey but also make it worse because it moves water so much. This jelly fish can almost look invisible to prey though.


I think its cool how this huge jelly can sneak up on its prey. It makes me wonder though if the population gets large enough will there prey becomes endangered? Just a thought. I think there is a lot to be learned from this jelly fish such as what makes it able to look invisible. This also kind of goes with the whole food web idea. I wonder if it will keep growing or like we know reach a carrying capacity?

Shelby G.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/13/voracious_comb_jellyfish_invisible_to_prey.html

Gene identified that prevents stem cells from turning cancerous

Our stem cells in our body can make practically everything, including cancer. The odds of having cancer depend on these stem cells. Stem cells that live to long increase your chances of having cancer. The head of the Strang Laboratory of Apoptosis and Cancer Biology, Hermann Steller, along with Maria Garcia-Fernandez and colleagues explored a gene called Sept4. This gene encodes a protein that increases cell death. The name of this protein is ARTS.


This article was very well written and for the most part easy to read. My question to the author of this article would be why did that name the gene Sept4. Is that when they discovered it? Another question would be why did they name the protein ARTS. near the end of the article it got a little chunky, meaning it was harder to understand.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/15/gene_identified_that_prevents_stem_cells_from_turning_cancerous.html

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/13/voracious_comb_jellyfish_invisible_to_prey.html

5 Sentence Summary

The article is about the north american comb jellyfish that can turn itself hydro dynamically"invisible". It eats vast quantities of zoo plankton and a few years ago was established in Europe. The jelly fish uses tiny cilia to pass water into its lobes. By doing this, the waters passes without being disturbed and the prey isn't alarmed until near the feeding are.

5 Sentence Opinion

I think this is really cool because we have been talking about the food chains and the different relationships between organisms in class. This is also cool because the jellyfish is able to silently sneak up on its prey. The jellyfish has a large body and its prey can sense the slightest amount of water displacement. This is cool because it has found out a way to catch its prey even though its big size and it is somewhat invisible. I like reading about these things because i am fascinated by the way animals can do things like this.

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/

Right now there there is a research project going on in the Great Smokey mountains called the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. In latin taxa means rating , valuing, or appraising. The goal of this research project is to find and classify every species of plants and animals living in the park. Right now there are about 12000 known spieces living in the park but researches think that there are about 50000 to 100000 species in the park.

In my opinion i think this research is good because with these new spieces of plants and animals scientist might be able to solve other problems concerning these spieces. It will also allow us to have a better understanding of the the environment in the park and also around it. I think that it will be cool to see and learn about these new spieces and see how they affect the other animals and the environment because right now we have no idea how they affect the environment.

Microscopic Solutions

SUMMERY
Professor Willy Verstraete and his team of biologists have found new uses for microbes and bacteria. On of these new fuctions of his bacteria uses an anerobic digestion reactor that generates as much energy as 25 wind turbines. The reactor uses a consortium of methanogenic (methane-creating) bacteria to filter waste and energy crops to produce biogas (methane and carbon) which is made to energy by a turbine. Verstraete had also created nanosilver particles using silver ions by means of the bacteria Lactobacillus. These particles can possibly help to cure influenza and other diseases. The team also isolated Desulphitobacterium dichloroeleminans that can be injected into the ground water to decontaminate chlorinated waste like chlorinated alkanes (the most common contaminants of soil and groundwater). Microbes and bacteria aren't only bad, if altered or isolated many kinds can be helpful.

OPINION
I've always known that certain bacterias could be used as filters for contaminants or as cures for disease, but I had no idea they could be used to create energy. I hope that in the future this new resourse is utilized. I was a little disappointed with the way the article was written. It doesn't specify how this bacteria is used, or how common it is. If it's difficult to isolate this strain of bacteria, I can understand if this process isn't used as often, but if it's easily accessed I'll be deeply disappointed with society if we don't jump on this chance. With more information, I could research more on the specifics, but the article was very vague. Still, very interesting.
Brittany Burns
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/13/microscopic_solutions_to_worlds_biggest_problems.html

Voracious comb jellyfish!!!!

This week i am doing my blog on the voracious comb jellyfish. This particular species of fish can sneak up on there prey without even being noticed, They have always been known to consume a vast amount of zoo plankton, but they are so unexpected.But this can also be a disadvantage because they are very sensitive to movement in the water. The voracious comb jellyfish can even consume the copepods plankton. The copepod jellyfish specializes in detecting even the slightest og movement in the water, and they can get away from that danger in a split second. I really think that this is really cool because like how cool is it to have a invisible jellyfish. I also find this really scary because what if im swiming in at the beach and then all of a sudden i get bit by this invisible fish and then no one sees it and i die. I hope the fish just lives below the surface of normal water level because that is really scary to me. Well thats all i have to say this week.

Artificial spider silk from trangenic silkworms

Summary- Scientist have found a way to have silkworms spin spider silk. Natural spider silks have a number of unusual physical properties. It has significantly higher tensile strength and elasticity than natural spun silkworm fibers. Scientist want to use the spider silk to replace muscles. They used a unique genetic engeneering tool called "piggyBac". PiggyBac is a piece of DNA known as a transposon that can insert itself into the genetic machinery of a cell.


Opinion- I think it's cool that they have done this. I wonder what the Bulletproof vests will look like. I wonder how long it will take untill they are finally able to make it. I wonder how they will make the bandages. This might turn out to be something useful.

http://www.macroevolution.net/artificial-spider-silk.html

Dogs may be pessimistic too

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/11/dogs_may_be_pessimistic_too.html


Summary

In this article, scientists attempt to study the emotions of dogs.In order to do this, the scientists used human psychology research. Using the "half-full, half-empty" method, the dogs were put in a room with an empty food bowl in one corner and a full food bowl in the other. The dogs that went to the position of the bowl with food were less likely to be anxious when left alone.

Opinion

I think this is a very interesting topic because most people think that dogs are always happy and optimistic. This study proves that to be wrong. I also think it was interesting because they used human psychology to conduct the experiment. This shows that humans and dogs are similar in the head. All in all, I think this was a very interesting and productive experiment.

Decline of la dolce vita

http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(10)01149-8

Summary – This article is about how population growth in Europe is expected to shrink (without immigration), as opposed to the views of many people, who think human population growth is out of control. The article focuses primarily on Italy, where fertility rates are 1.3 births per woman. These numbers are worse in Bologna, where fertility rates are less than 1 birth per woman. The article also gives a prediction that by 2050, most Italians will have no brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, or uncles. The article concludes that China is reviewing its “one child” rule, but that “any change could have global consequences.”

Opinion – I think that this is a little sad that there will so few children and most of the population will be old in later years. Also, when someone thinks of Italians, they think of big families with lots of reunions and feasts. But this could drastically change in later years, the way the population growth is going. The article also stated that the more religious countries have lower populations, which I think is understandable because then most people will wait until marriage to have children. This is my opinion on the article.

New fossil suggests dinosaurs not so fierce after all

In Arizona a new species of dinosaur suggests that dinosaurs didn't spread across the world by overpowering others, but by taking advantage of a natural disaster that killed their competitors. sarahsaurus, the new dinosaur, challenges the view that dinosaurs are successful animals that outcompeted other species whenever and wherever they wanted to. The sarahsaurus was studied by an international team of scientists, including Robert Reisz, Tim Rowe, and Hans-dieter Sues. All of the paleontologists put together their findings from different parts of the skeleton, and discover its evolutionary significance. The remains of the dinosaur showed that it was 4.3 metre long, a bipedal plant eating animal, had a small head but long neck, and weighted about 113 kilograms.

OPINION:

Is that all the article is going to tell us? I was waiting for the answer as to why they believe dinosaurs weren't powerful. Even though it lacked a true ending it was still a great article and easy to read. I think its pretty cool that all these paleontologists from around around the world started finding remains of this dinosaur all around the same, and bring together their knowledge. One again this article was well written even though i believe it could have ended better.


http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/05/new_fossil_suggests_dinosaurs_not_so_fierce_after_all.html

Do Your Genes Tilt You Toward Thrill-Seeking?

– Thu Oct 7, 11:47 pm ET

THURSDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Do your genes predispose you to thrill-seeking?

Scientists looking into this question have found a dozen gene mutations associated with the urge to do exciting things.

This urge, called "sensation seeking" by researchers, has been linked to the neurotransmitter dopamine, a chemical that carries messages in the brain. In research that involved 635 people enrolled in a study on addiction, the scientists looked at 273 genetic mutations -- involving a change in just one letter of the DNA -- known to occur in eight genes with roles related to dopamine.

That number was eventually narrowed down to a dozen potentially important mutations. When those 12 gene variants were combined, they explained just under 4 percent of the difference between people who are sensation seekers and those who are not. This may not seem like much but it is "quite large for a genetic study," according to study first author Jaime Derringer, a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota.

However, she added, it's too early to start screening people for these mutations because not enough is known about how genes affect behavior.

While sensation seeking has been linked to a range of behavior disorders, such as drug addiction, it can be a positive trait.

"Not everyone who's high on sensation-seeking becomes a drug addict. They may become an Army Ranger or an artist. It's all in how you channel it," Derringer said.

The study appears in the current issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Summary

A urge, called "sensation seeking", has been linked to the neurotransmitter dopamine, is a chemical that carries messages in the brain. However, she added, it's too early to start screening people for these mutations because not enough is known about how genes affect behavior.While sensation seeking has been linked to a range of behavior disorders, such as drug addiction, it can be a positive trait."Not everyone who's high on sensation-seeking becomes a drug addict. They may become an Army Ranger or an artist. It's all in how you channel it," Derringer said.

Option

I don't know if it's true but what if are traits are formed from genetics. What else can be passed to are kids and us from are parents traits. Could you use this traits to know how someones going to turn out to be there passions. I think it's kind of weird but there are so many factors to include like are past affects who we are.

Americans' life expectancy continues to fall behind other countries'-Hannah Moerk

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-10/cf-ale100610.php

Summary:

Recent research has shown a decrease in life expectancy among Americans'. After looking back at the last century, it seems that smoking, obesity, traffic fatalities and homicide aren't the problem. As far as smoking is concerned, there was little difference compared to other countries. Obesity rates in the US tend to be higher, but the rates haven't increased, as they did dramatically between 1975-2005. With traffic fatalities and homicide, although they are accounted for, for their share of deaths, they can not be the culprit for the number of deaths in the last 15 years. Scientists have concluded that the US' health care system is the blame.

Opinion:

After reading this article it was a surprise to me that it is our health care system that is the problem. Compared to other countries, looking at our spending on health care, we should be at the top. However the problem is here in the US, people often seek out specialists for specific care. This is at a higher expense. However, it is not that our specialists are doing a poor job, but it's that people go to the specialists for their specific problems, and often times are missing, and overlooking the other problems. Hopefully we can find a solution to this problem by seeing more primary physicians that can see the bigger picture of ploblems.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/07/volcano_fuels_massive_phytoplankton_bloom.htmlSummary:

In 2008 the Kasatochi volcano in the Aleutian Islands erupted. When it erupted it spewed iron-laden ash over a great portion of the North Pacific
The ash actually helped in it made the number of phytoplankton rise. The bloom was the biggest number ever recorded since 1997. Phytoplankton is free floating single celled plants that basically start the marine food chain.

Opinion:
I think it’s just all in chance. You would thing the ash would actually kill not help the phytoplankton. Maybe that area is just a good spot for it to grow.
Yes the eruption might have had a little to do with it. Not all off the bloom is based on the eruption I think. Maybe there was something else that could have trigured such a massive bloom.
Shelby G

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/07/volcano_fuels_massive_phytoplankton_bloom.html

Phytoplankton are single celled organisms. They are the base to all organisms in the ocean. They take up carbon dioxide which helps us as humans. They also release iron into the ocean. This can offset atmospheric C02 concentrations.

I think this is grea for the environment and it will lower C02 levels. Phytoplankton seem like such small aspects. But really there huge to the environment. This is a very big deal to environmentalist who are freaking out. Every thing will be better just because of a volcanoe.

10-8-10

Today im writing my blog about mive with human body defences. You know sciencist test there medicines on mice well now it is even more accurtrate because now the mice have the same defences as humans so now they can protect themselves. Scienists from the Helmholtz Centre for infection Research in Braunshweig. In Germany they tested this to be true when they injected two mice with the antibodies which were then used to produce human monoclonal antibodies. I really think that this could be a good thing because now they can actually get the medicine right before they put it on the selves. But i kind of really feel bad for the mice who have to die are get tested on so i really feel bad for them. Also its really cool now that mice have now mutated to becaome so strong.

Zach vaughn

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/07/volcano_fuels_massive_phytoplankton_bloom.html
Summary
There was a volcano that errupted and spilt a lot of iron lad ash into the North Pacific Ocean. The ash supposedly made the phytoplankton bloom in large numbers. The measure of the phytoplankton was the most it's been since the ocean surface measurements. Phytoplankton are free-floating, single-celled plants that form the base of the marine food chain. But although the volcanic ash fueled such a big phytoplankton bloom, it resulted in only a modest uptake of atmospheric CO2.

Opinion

My opinion is that is was just a chance that the phytoplankton grew after the eruption. You would think that the ash would kill the phyto plankton cells. The erruption could have possiable trigured a growth but I dont think its likely. I dont think they have a way to see if it was the ash that make it grew.

Americans' life expectancy continues to fall behind other countries'

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/10/07/americans_life_expectancy_continues_to_fall_behind_other_countries.html

As the US continues to lag behind other nations in gains of life expectancy, researchers Peter Muennig and Sherry Glied are trying to find out why this is happening. This is not happening due to the common causes such as, smoking, obesity, traffic fatalities, and homocides. Even though the US achieved gains in 15-year survival rates over the last few decades, other countries have achieved even greater gains. The researchers say the failure for the US to make greater gains in survival rates may be due to the flaws in the overall health system. They discovered that the US health care system has been failing Americans for years.

This research fasinates me. It is interesting to learn that the US is behind all the other nations in the gains of life expectancy and it is not due to things like obesity, smoking or traffic accidents. I would have expected the decrease of life expectancy to have something to do with obesity since about half the US citizens are obese. I also would have contributed shorter life expectancies to traffic accidents since texting has become such a huge thing for our teens and young adults in the US. I find it difficult to accept that our health care systems have been failing us for years, which is in turn leading to shorter life spans. Hopefully this new information will lead to better health care for the US. In my opinion, this research is very important and hopefully will lead to longer life spans for US citizens.

Large waist size = higher chance of diabetes

SUMMERY
A new study suggests that waist size is a key factor in diabetes prevention and detection. By testing men and women from both England and America, they found that 16 percent of American men have diabetes compared to 11 percent of English men. 14 percent of American women have diabetes compared to 7 percent of English women. This information seems to be directly correlated to the fact that American men have waists an average 3 centimeters larger then the English, and American woman 5 centimeters bigger then English. Researchers say that three possible reasons for the size difference could be diet, exercise, and stress that Americans put themselves through. Either way, this new information will be helpful in finding new ways to prevent diabetes.

OPINION
In English class on Tuesday, I had a substitute who was from Poland. She told us directly how our food here is so unhealthy compared to European food. Nothing she said really shocked me. To we Americans, it seems old news that our lifestyles are unhealthy, yet nothing is ever done. Hopefully more reasearch on the conquences of our bad health and the food we're feeding ourselves with, will help inspire food companys and coorperations to remove some of the artificial ingrediants in their products. It gives people more reason to get out and exercize. I'm glad we're starting to realize what we're doing to ourselves. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101007092710.htm

Twain students visit Kirkwood biology lab

http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20101005/NEWS01/101005003/1079/

This article is about Twain Elementary School students (Iowa City, IA) visiting a local community college (Kirkwood) to perform a science experiment. Sam Anthony, a sixth grader, held a test tube containing water and a swabbing from his cheek. Later, he added ethanol to the concotion and watched it fizz all the way to the top. This process was that his cheek cells rose. Along with him were two of his classmates that attended this college-level program. Also, exchanges will be made between the two schools, with Kirkwood instructorsvisiting Twain.

In my opinion, this is a great idea for students at this age. It would motivate them to enjoy science once they are coursed in biology. I wish that Forsyth Tech would've visited us when I was in 6th grade. I'm enjoying biology right now and would be a great opportunity for kids who don't like middle school science. Maybe programs like this would help a student excel.

New Species of Sea Slug Discovered

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100922155108.htm

Summary – This article is about how a new species of sea slug was discovered by Jeff Goddard. While Goddard was working in the tide pools at Carpinteria National Park in California, he spotted the slug and documented it. Then he sent the slug to Terrence M. Gosliner, who is an authority on the taxonomy of sea slugs. He named the slug after Goddard, who was very honored. The slug was found in a part of Southern California that is well known, so scientists are excited because it could be that there are other species there as well, right under their noses.

Opinion – Personally, I don’t think it is so cool that they found a new slug, because they are kind of slimy, although it looks interesting in the picture. However, I do think it is cool that there could still be new species that we’ve never seen out there. It’s interesting because it leaves some mystery in the world. I also think it's amazing that Goddard was able to spot the slug in a busy tide pool and realize that is was a new species. This is my opinion on the article.

New device for identifying aggresive breast cancer

This article is about a new device that can find breast cancer. The new device is designed to capture cancer cells efficiently in circulating blood. This device is also cheaper and easier to make than the microfrabicated one. The device attaches proteins too the cancer cells to capture them. The creators hope that this new device will be a huge help to breast cancer patients.

I think that this new device is great! Not only will it help cancer patients, but its another step closer to finding a cure for cancer. Hopefully this device will be a huge step to finding the cure. Breast Cancer is a terrible disease, and needs to be stopped, so I think these researchers are doing a great job !

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/09/15/mild_memory_loss_is_not_a_part_of_normal_aging.html\

memory loss is not due to the age of a person. The loss of memory is just a symptom of dementia that will grow more and more. Its just that you are more likely to experience it if your age is greater. In the last four to five years of life they would forget more.

I thought that this article was okay. I learned that old age doesnt mean that you will lose your memory. I dont think it concerns me at this point in time because Im still like super young.

Cloned Virus

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/09/14/welsh_scientists_clone_human_virus.html


A team of scientist have cloned a human viruse that may help in treatment for patients suffering from threatining diseases. A majorly infectious diseases, HCMV, is the main cause of malformations world wide. HCMV has been proven to be a threatining diseaese in people with HIV/AIDS. By cloning HCMV scientist can create a treatment to help those suffering from threating diseases. HCMV is the first virus to be perfectly copied outside of the body.

I think that this is another break through in helping cure life threatining diseases. The vaccines that can be created could help HIV/AIDS victims all over the world. I like that the scientist found away to clone the viruse outside the human body. This way no humans or animals were harmed.

JoAnne J

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/09/29/sneaking_spies_into_a_cells_nucleus.html


Summary:
People at duke are sending “spies” in to the command center of the cell or the nucleus. This allows them to see what’s going on inside the cell. If it is successful enough they could use procedures like this to prevent cancer. It also shows how drugs and other things affect and go into the nucleus. This kind of goes along with what we did with the egg this week and talking about cells.

Opinion: I think this is great! It could help a lot of people not only scientist but maybe catch cancer before it’s to late for someone. I mean if they can get into the nucleus think of all the other stuff they could get in to like ER, mitochondria everything! I think it would be so neat to see the inside of a nucleus.

Shelby G.

New Post

Today I am writing about how the world's plants are under threat of extinction. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Natural History Museum, London and International Union of Conservation of Natural, has came together to reveael that the wolrd's plants are going towards extinction as mammals. They came to that conclusion when five of the world's plants were threatened by extinction. An estimate of 380,000 plants species are already under extinction and was annoced to the government as they meet in Nagoya, Japan in mid October 2010. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Director says ", This study confirms what we already supected, that plants are under therat and the main cause is human induced habitat loss. What I think about this whole thing is like my biology teacher Ms. Cox always says " Humans suck!" If we would just stop being so selfish and greedy we would not have this problem. If the humans would just stop building business and other property. We need more solar powered stuff to help sace the plant.