Biology

"Utilising your experience and knowledge of biochemistry/genetics/molecular biology, describe how you would go about designing a fire-breathing dragon?" (One of the final exams for third year biochemistry is a 2 hour essay question that's meant to cover everything you've ever learnt on the degree course. We got the specimen paper for it today, this was one of the option questions. So we just spent a merry afternoon discussing how we would go about answering this question.) I'll post what I came up with later.

Hello everyone, Let's say I have a throat infection and all the bacteria are near the throat. I get antibiotics. So if these antibiotics enter bloodstream, how do they know they have to diffuse out right near the throat area. Are they diffusing all the time, going to unwanted places. Why is it bad to get antibiotics frequently, I can understand they will kill good bacteria, but how does this create antibiotic resistance to bad bacteria. Thanks

Hello everyone, These might be stupid but I'll ask anyway. Ok let's say a person died because a major artery supplying the brain was damaged. After a while if someone fixes the artery and supply some blood, would the person come alive again. What basically I'm asking is if someone died to reversible damage like this, if you fix it soon can he come back alive. Ok why doe many people die due to brain damage, if they are still breathing and the heart is pumping aren't they still living?How can damage to the brain affect breathing or pumping of heart? So if you fix their brain damage would they come back alive. Also why is their no pulse after you die, if the heart is aut…

What exactly is insect blood made of? I seem to forget.

Hello everyone, I saw this in something I read recently. The infection could cause thrombosis. Ok my question is if thrombosis is a blood clot that occludes a vessel, how does infection create one. If the blood vessel is damaged some how it is possible. Are they saying bacteria or something from the infection can damage blood vessels, how by their toxins? or is this caused by swelling? Also how does a thrombosis occur. I mean in animations I have seen when a vessel is damaged, fibrin and all close the gap nicely, what makes them overdo their stuff. Also this is just another general question, in infections is it mostly the bodies immune response (swelling) that is dam…

This may be a long shot, but I remember seeing a documentary some while ago, it was about squid, specifically the search for giant squid but that may not have been its sole focus. Regardless, what I do remember is the "expert" was a white male, I'm pretty sure he was american, moreover he had a real passion for squid, a Feynmanesque joy of sharing his knowledge. My house mate studies Biology, and I think she would really enjoy watching it, as would I. Any ideas on what it was or where I can find it? J

Please have a look at this diagram of 5-meo-dmt: Is there any reason why the terminal molecule on the upper right branch says H3C whereas the other molecules on the other branches say CH3? Does it matter in notation whether the H3 comes before or after the C?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10132762.stm From what I can tell from the article, these scientists synthesized the organisms DNA, then implanted it into an existing cell. The cell then functioned normally. Even that seems like a major breakthrough to me, but I'm not really sure about the state of the science.

I have been reading about diabetes and types and how it is functionally regulated by the body. The only logical conclusion i can theory is: Diabetes is a result of enzymes and acids that destroy skeletal tissue or re-regulate and the normal hormonal processes that regulate the endocrine system. Excess Sugar and fats in a diet void of meat(creatine) Vitamin c, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin d, high biological value proteins, complex carbs, change the endocrine system to a new mode of survival regulation. The excess sugar and unhealthy fats are the predominant energy supply for the anaerobic system and aerobic system, any stored skeletal nutrients become u…

Hi, how do I calculate the tidal volume and ventilation rates for two test subjects from the number of observed breaths per minute taken during an experiment? I also need to calculate the stroke volume of the heart and the cardiac output, but I have no clue how to do this? The relevant details are as follows: Subject 1 Breaths per minute at rest: 24 Breath per Minute during exercise: 29 Heart Rate during rest: 97 Heart Rate during exercise 165 Subject 2 Breaths per minute at rest: 16 Breath per Minute during exercise: 22 Heart Rate during rest: 74 Heart Rate during exercise 23 Any help any…

Hello everyone, This is the definition of endosteum from wiki, The endosteum (plural endostea) is a thin layer of connective tissue which lines the surface of the bony tissue that forms the medullary cavity of long bones. However I'm of the beleif that endosteum lines the inner surface of all bones. Does it only line medullary cavity or internal surfaces of all bones. Do all bones have medullary cavities by the way. Thanks

what's is the relation between pancreas and speccially diabetes and thyroid gland:confused:

Hello everyone, For example muscle tone is continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles. This means there must be some involuntary nerve impulses. Now my question is I can understand how heart has leaky potassium channels and contract involuntary, but how does the brain make nerves contract involuntary without stimulus? Thanks

Can somebody give me some recommendation how to create the input file for the genetic program Admix 2.0 (Dupanloup and Bertorelle 2001)? I have data from 10 microsatellites and my PC has a Windows system. Greetings, Canidae

Does the size of an animal's ear effect how good it's hearing will be?

Is raw sugar(glucose) the source of kinetic energy development and storage in the body. Phosphagen is the store of energy in the muscles and liver, but is raw sugar the key compound that stores and releases kinetic energy. so then without raw sugar kinetic energy is unable to develop and store in the body?

Hello everyone. I have color graphem synesthesia and just found a really interesting syn voting website: http://www.tukan.extra.hu There you can vote what color is each letter or number in your mind and see what color many other people voted for. And I want to ask you if any of you has an idea why A is red for most synesthetes and C yellow??

What does alcohol do to your body that makes people drunk?...

I was just fascinated that we have multi cellular animals that can live with no oxygen. But i am a bit curious about Hydrogenosomes? What are they? Some of the articles are a bit tough for me to understand. Also how is this hydrogenosome allow the organism to make food and how is this in contrast with photosynthesis apart from the absence of light.

Hello guys, I have a very quick question. They say nucleic acids are very large molecules and they cover some large distance I can not remember. Are they saying the length of these molecules are long or the size(meaning they are big with width). I don't understand how they can fit in a cell if they are that big. I can understand how they can wind a lot inside a cell, but that only explains the length. It is those trivia like things where they say this can cover the size of a tennis court and such things. Just give me your opinion. Thanks

I was wondering do iron eating bacteria eat the metal iron itself or just the compounds.

Hello everyone, Capillaries are just a single layer of endothelial cells with no muscle tissue so how do these constrict? Thanks

Some capuchins go through great lengths to obtain the kernel from certain nuts, first peeling, the drying, and finally cracking them open with a rock and anvil (BBC Life: Life's Challenges), I was therefore wondering if chimps are really the most intelligent primates, or if we're just biassed because they're our closest genetic relatives.

First off hi I am a new user. Im a 21 year old single male and have never been in a relationship with a female. My whole life I have been rejected by females. Throughout my middle school years and highschool years I was obese so that probably has a alot to do with why I was unable to get a girlfriend. The tenth grade was the last time I ever tried to date a girl I was tired of being rejected and accepted that i was undesired by females so I lost interest in them and stopped talking to them. My senior year in highschool I lost all my excessive poundage and I guess was desired by quite a few females but was not interested in them and noticed that I no longer had any drive, …

Hello everyone, Ok so electricty must flow through ions in the body right, I have some questions about this. From what I researched this is my understanding of it, please correct me if I'm wrong. When electricity passes to your body, the positive ions migrate towards the negative charged area and gains electrons while negative ions migrate towards positively charged area and releases them. Now I have some questions about that. 1.Can't the positive ions gain electrons and completely neutralize the current? 2. If the positive ions move towards the negative side and balance the charges at both ends, wouldn't that neutralize the current, why do redox reactions o…