Biology

I have been interested in watching survival story's about animal attacks so I started researching them out of boredom then I found out that Crocodiles are related to birds and hippos are related to whale. I was wondering if there was any other relatives to animals you would never expect??

Is it true that masturbating decreases your chances of getting prostate cancer? If so, how? Are there any theories on what causes prostate cancer?

Hello everyone, This is what my lecture note is saying about osmotic diuresis. Water retention in tubules-----> decreased sodium concentration in tubules----> increased concentration gradient of sodium--->sodium pushing limit reached----->decreased sodium absorption---->increased sodium in tubule----> more water retention in tubule Ok I understand the first 2 points but then how does the concentration gradient of sodium suddenly increase and what is meant by sodium pushing limit reached. Sodium carriers saturated? Please explain to me if you understand this. Thank you

Hello everyone, I'm getting the feeling I have not understood osmosis all this time even though I thought I did. So if 2 solutions are separated by a water permeable membrane, and one solution has less solutes than the other, water would move to less concentrated area right. Now why does this occur. In the region where there are more solutes are their polar bonds between water and solutes restricting the movement of water molecules in that region, does this create free space for water from high concentration area to move in? If there is more water in one area I can understand how it would diffuse to the less water area but if I consider the whole thing as particles, i…

I need to do a challenge test on L.Monocytogenes in guacamole. I'm to reduce the CFU/g through changing temperature and pH (the primary focus is on pH). Only problem is - I've never done a challenge test before. Can anyone help me out and point me to a list of steps I need to take to do the tests please? I've searched the net for quite some time but the information isn't terribly relevant. Thanks:)

Interferons are released in the body in response to viruses? True or False? Merged post follows: Consecutive posts mergedIn the book it says that interferons bind to uninfected cells, in turn, triggers the synthesis of cellular enzymes that inhibit viral replication.

I am contructing a plasmid by inserting a PCR product into a vector. After I did the PCR, I checked the product by running a gel, no problem, the product is then enzymatically cut and gel-ran to remove small fragment, no problem was revealed by the gel. Then I enzymatically cut open the vector, remove the small fragment by gel-run (and check the size, no problem), extract the vector backbone. Next I ligated the PCR product (after enzyme treatment) to the linearised vector by one-end ligation, made blunt the one-end ligated product, ligated the blunt end with ligase to close up the plasmid. After this I transformed the plasmid by electroporation into E.coli. My vector has …

The question I would like to pose, is there any fossil evidence for solar powered animals, in the earth's evolutionary past/present? By solar powered, I mean they would collect energy from the sun, via chlorophyl laden skin, and use that energy input to supplement their primary food requirement. Snakes use the heat of the sun. I was thinking more in terms of photosynthesis skin. I am not claiming this, just pondering the possibilities.

Hello everyone, I have found out that iron exists as plasma iron, plasma transferrin and plasma ferritin. Now what is plasma iron, I thought iron can not exist alone in the plasma it has to bind to something, is this wrong? Also ferritin is inside cells (eg liver cells) so why is there plasma ferritin. My main question is if we lose blood this can lead to iron deficiency anaemia, the thing is I'm confused how the iron is lost. If the iron is lost via plasma I'm confused due to above reasons I mentioned. Also iron is in red blood cells, so what contributes more to loss, loss of iron via red blood cells or plasma iron? Thank you

Hi: Like most casual observers of insects, I am familiar with the explanation of how ants use pheromones as trail markers to guide them both to sources of food and back to their nests. In studying a recent photo that I took, what I found to be intriguing is that that some of the ants navigate to the end of a chicken bone to consume the remaining flesh, while other ants are content to feast on the crackers that are more accessible. I would have thought that the ants would have first consumed the more accessible food source (the crackers) before venturing out after the less accessible food source at the end of the bone. Here is the image that stimulated my thinking on th…

Hello everyone, In fenestrated capillary there are holes inside the endothelial cell, I don't understand how cells can have holes? Does this mean that individual holes in endothelial cells are covered by a lipid membrane? Can anyone tell how can there be holes in an individual cells when lipid membrane usually covers the whole cell. Thanks

Hello everyone, Since filtration occurs at the glomerulus, starling's law can be applied. Now I'm very confused with this. I understand the concept but starling's law is only for water molecules right? Now this is my question if water moves out of the glomerulus to be filtered, do solutes dissolved in it move out as well or is it just the water? Thanks

Hello everyone, If external jugular vein is damaged and is kept open, air can enter upon inspiration. I thought in inspiration air only travels to through trachea to lungs, so how can air enter the vein in inspiration. When we breathe, air only passes through trachea right, our whole body doesn't get it right (I know later by capilllaries in lungs but directly I mean) ? Thanks

I read recently, and watched a video, on CNN.com; it was about a break-through in science, where scientists were able to forge DNA structure, giving them the ability to make custom plants/life; I'm not a scientist but I think it's called synthetic life, maybe not, anyway.. Is this true? If so, how long until we can create life forms with the same intelligence (or more) as our own?

Does every living thing require water to live, or some trace of liquid?

Hello everyone, If blood is taken to a tube it clots after a while. If the tube is glass, since it is a wettable surface the process is hastened, but my question is normally in the body when blood is flowing, anticoagulents are dominant over coagulents. Now if the blood is moving slow inside the body or out, why do coagulents become more dominant. Also in capillaries there is only endothelium right no collagen. So how do platelets bind if a capillary wall is damaged, platelets bind to collagen right? Thanks a lot

Hello everyone, When hookworm lives in your intestine and sucks your blood, what causes the main blood loss? Does the damaged blood vessels leak into the intestine and get excreted or hookworm itself causes more damage? Thanks

Hello everyone, I can't find a satisfactory answer in google. Abnormal red blood cells are destroyed inside capillaries, by what or who?

Hey everyone, I am in my first year of graduate studies and I have a great idea for a gene construct. I know some basics about plasmids and restriction digest I just don't know where to start. So how do I go about creating this idea of a gene construct I have?

Hello everyone, Partial pressure of oxygen at lungs is 100mmHg. Is this the oxygen dissolved in blood or oxygen bounded with haemoglobin. I think former is true, just to clarify. Thanks

hey im in year 12 and have currently received a EEI for biology, the experiment can only be based on respiratory systems, human body or the functions of a plant...... (preferably not plant) and i cant test on the effects of energy drinks (school has a "healthy" mind thing going (n)) oR physiological testing like on a rat maze ect... so... ideas?

Hello everyone, When you swallow food I know nasopharynx closes and cricopharyngeus muscle relaxes. This means air can enter oesophagus easily right? Then why are we not burping all the time while eating. Thanks

Hello there, I am considereing a phd combining sound art with Biology. I have however a couple of questions. Firstly the experiments that showed plants responded differently to music by different people . Is this experiment backed up, duplicated ? Or is it pseudo science ? There are however other well researched studioes that do show plants respond to sound, (namely 5000hz/50000hz) - What is the mechanism that plants use to respond to sound ? Second issue : Plant electrophysiology - is this pseudoscience or is there definately minute electrical signals in plants ? any info/links/advice/papers in this area would be much appreciated, Cheers, Gus

An interesting point was made by my mother a few seconds ago, and I knew the people to take up the challenge! If a unborn child in utro, (sometimes from large zygote to fully developed) is suspended upside down for approx. 10 weekes give or take, how can it be that the blood does not end up in the head, causing headrush like symptons and or periodic blackouts. One point to take into consideration is (my fathers contribution) is that does the blood get utlized in developing the unborn childs brain? Just a thought, and thanks in advance! Doc:rolleyes:D

Hello everyone, What is the function of the mucous membrane of the mouth. Ok if it is to trap infectious agents and keep everything moist, where does mucous drain to after it traps the pathogens. Do they fall down from the mouth. Also since the first thing that comes to mind when mucous pops up is obviously nasal mucous. So how does the actual mucous look like it. In the mouth why can't we see or feel the mucous like in the nose. Thanks