Biology

i have recently seen an article on "Impact of engineered surface microtopography on biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus" and they use a shark skin to actually how does a biofilm forms and weather it encourage of discourage the growth of biofilm. my question is, why does microbes grow well on certain surface and not on others and what are the types of surface that can promote/inhibit microbial adhesion and proliferation. my second question, what does wettability means?

A lot of people think we humans are the "pinnacle of evolution", the "highest life form", etc. I blame hubris and also those evolution posters that show a linear progression toward humans. Anyhow, most biologists will typically reply that we're all equally evolved since we've all been around for as long. However, I think that bacteria are the most evolved. First, we need to define "most evolved". There are a few possibilities 1) Most changed from the original life-form. 2) Most acted upon by evolution. 3) Most fit (and how you measure it). The winner for 1) could be found by genetic analysis, and might be the archea. Determining a winner for 3) would be difficu…

I'm a biology student and in our syllabus we have to know what enantiostasis is. It defines enantiostasis as the maintenance of metabolic and physiological functions in response to variations in the environment. My question is, is this a new term invented entirely by the Board of Studies (New South Wales' (in Australia) education thingo). I looked it up on the internet and the only sites I can find are all related to our HSC (NSW's SATs). I'm getting suspicious. Has anyone heard of enantiostasis? I can barely even find a rational definition of it, every website has the same definition (damned plagiarism). Here's the board of studies explanation of its syllabus. http:/…

First question: Where would this topic go? Second question: May I come here to these forums presenting new wave / ancient / traditional claims I find on the internet? I understand the majority is unproven and possible nonsense, but I'd like to understand 'why' if anyone is bored enough to explain or direct me to where I might learn more on the subject. Topic Question: Is there any validity to these 'Cold Shower' 'Ishnaan' claims? (yes or no, feel free to elaborate for my ignorance): "Cold showers have the following positive effects: * Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body. * Cleans the circulatory system. * Reduc…

Are there any books/resources out there of some common classroom biology experiments for high school students. It's just that often we do a lot of practical work followed up by questions for assesement. It would be great if I could come up prepared in class before doing any experiment by knowing all the things I should expect/find interesting. Sometimes we also write practical reports instead of answering questions so knowing more about the experiment and why it occurs the way it does will give me more to discuss and potentially increase my marks. Our textbooks tell us nothing of any experiments so it's impossible for me to be 100% prepared and I was just wondering if the…

Hi, I know that there are several stem cells that can become several types of cells. However, I was wondering what characterises these stem cells - meaning, what is the diffrence in their metabolisms that make them totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent or just unipotent (is it how they are made, or is it some enzymes...or what?) thanks in advance,

I'm starting a project about the effects of hypnosis on my ability to compose music. I've been playing the piano for 3-4 years. I cannot read music but i'm getting better at playing by ear. The reason I play is to compose. The first problem is that I end up composing simular stuff all the time. If I have not played for a few days (the longer the better) I will tend to compose new 'ideas'. Is is me or my sub-conscience (or whichever state) that makes me creative, or neither? The second problem is when playing in front of new people (or an audience) my ability to compose new stuff that I haven't before is killed. It seems that because i'm nervous i'm thinking about …

Why do I keep having a shimmering circle in the center of my field of vision when I get home after exercise, and why, strangest of all, does this only happen when I exercise at the coast, never anywhere else? I never have headache migraines.

What are scientists exactly seeing when they study cells. Can they see every intricate detail of a cell or just an outline of it. Can an atom be seen in its intricate detail? I am curious since I have run across in research that microbes are viewed as just chemical reactions, life forms are just animated chemical reactions, atoms reacting is how organisms came into existence, etc. The impression I am getting is that science have many conclusions based on just seeing the reactions and have very little understanding of the initiation processes that gives it facts.

Hi, I am not sure if this is in the right place or not! I need to obtain some 80% ethanol in order to preserve Hymenoptera specimens but I am having real trouble pinning down how to do this! I know you can procure absinthe up to 80% but I read that specimens should ideally be preserved in a clear alcoholic liquid. Could somebody please help me out with this query! I just need to make sure the DNA will be preserved for (a maximum of) 2 months! Thanks! Caz

I'm reading a book that discusses how most mammals other than primates are dichromatic, which to some extent I already knew given the common assumption that dogs, for example, are "color blind." I understand that they aren't fully color blind, of course, but that they can see basically from blue to green in the visible spectrum (visible by humans, at least!). But it got me wondering, do we have any idea what a dog (or any other dichromatic animal) sees when presented with an object that is, for example, orange or red? Does it appear black and white to them? If so, what's happening in the eye to cause this appearance? Or does it appear as some other color that they *ca…

Can a protein function during protein transport?

The climate of the earth varies a great deal from place to place, yet animals can adapt and survive under almost all conditions. Some creatures, like the snail, can survive temperatures of 50 degrees below zero, while certain one-celled animals can live in water with a temperature of over 120 degrees. Man can live in the frozen wastes of Siberia, where the temperature may reach 75 degrees below zero, or in the broiling desert where temperatures climb to over 125 degrees. Some fish live in the deepest parts of the ocean, where the pressure of the water is so great that no person could survive there even for a moment. Goats and llamas live high in the mountains …

I find the ability of electric eels to use electricity offensively confusing. I can understand that it can achieve a separation of charge within an electric organ through biological processes in which I'm not very interested just now. According to some vague descriptions of how it works, it then "discharges" or "fires" the organ. I presume what this means is that it allows the organ to return to equilibrium, with a strong current briefly flowing through the organ itself. But how does this cause the target fish to be electrocuted? I would greatly appreciate it if anyone can offer an explanation of the physical processes occurring here, or direct me to somewhere whe…

Hello folks, I'm having a tough time understanding the difference between incomplete dominance and polygenic inheritance. When I search on the internet, I keep getting answers like incomplete dominance is a blending of traits, like with a red rose and a white rose becoming a pink rose. Whereas polygenic inheritance is more blending genes like skin color. Now...to me these seem like the same things. You're blending genes together. From multiple things comes one thing that shares a blend of characteristics. What am I missing here? Thanks! GDT

First and foremost let me start off by saying I hope this is in the right category and if it isn't I'm seriously sorry and feel free to move it. As a woman who's planning a family sometime in the future, I've been a member of a forum designed around women who are trying to get pregnant, pregnant, and those who have lost a pregnancy. Sadly I fall into the latter category. Another member who's now striking out on the road to getting pregnant made a post yesterday that had me scratching my head. The claim was that if a woman was to use baking soda in her vagina that it would balance out the natural ph and make it a much more hospitable environment for sperm to survive an…

Hello everyone, I understand that countercurrent multiplier makes the area around medulla hypertonic, so water can go out of collecting duct. When I checked the function of countercurrent exchanger it was to kep this concentration gradient intact. I looked at the solutes movement in countercurrent exchanger but I don't understand how it keeps this intact or why it it nessecary at all. I understand countercurrent multiplier, and isn't that enough. Could anyone please help. Thanks

I saw in a zoo an interesting event: An Asian elephant was using wooden sticks to scratch its armpit, a place which it could not easily scratch with its soft trunk. Some animals use tools, usually the very intelligent ones (and elephants are clever). I do not know if this particular elephant was an animal recovered from India where they are used for farming purposes or if it had invented the trick on its own account or perhaps was it imitating its caretakers. In any case this tool behaviour is known in elephants, according to the wikipedia. Elephants also drink a particular type of mud in order to use its clay as a filter against the poisons of certain plants they eat.…

I am just curious does the size of a ear affect the sensitivity of one's hearing?

How much electricity/energy is needed to produce CH4 by directly using a current and just CO2? Can it be done naturally by microbes?

Hello everyone, When a cell divide, do the organalles divide, or does DNA divide first, and using that DNA information new cells synthesize organalles. Thanks

Hello everyone, My biochemistry book just says there are 20 amino acids that are essential and not synthesizd by the body. Then it doesn't say how other amino acids are synthesized. My guess is they are synthesized from transamination reactions of essential amino acids. Does that mean if you don't get 20 essential amino acids you would not have the rest either. Thanks

Hello everyone, Quick question. I can understand proteins are needed to make everything in the cell, so if you inhibit bacterial protein synthesis, cell division can not occur. However my question is does the DNA replicate and divide, and then the cell can not make other things they want so cell division stops, or it stops before this? For DNA replication you need DNA polymerase, so is this not synthesized if you inhibit bacterial synthesis. Basically just tell me plainly why inhibition of protein biosynthesis in bacteria inhibit bacterial cell divison? Thank you

Could it be possible that some insects have religion?

I need to grow up Listeria monocytogenes and have been instructed to use Tryptone Soya Agar as the growth medium, however I would have thought Heart Brain infusion would be better. Can anyone please tell me how I must decide which is best? Should I not use HIB cos it would grow absolutely everything and TSA is more selective? Will TSA grow ALL the listeria present? Cheers:)