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How skin is wired for touch 
Compared to our other senses, scientists don't know much about how our skin is wired for the sensation of touch. Now, research reported in the December 23rd issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, provides the first picture of how specialized neurons feel light touches, like a brush of movement or a vibration, are organized in hairy skin.
Compared to our other senses, scientists don't know much about how our skin is wired for the sensation of touch. Now, research reported in the December 23rd issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, provides the first picture of how specialized neurons feel light touches, like a brush of movement or a vibration, are organized in hairy skin.
Physiology
Source: Cell Press
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 22, 2011, 1:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1218 | Comments: 0
Source: Cell Press
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 22, 2011, 1:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1218 | Comments: 0
Study examines how diving marine mammals manage decompression
Any diver returning from ocean depths knows about the hazard of decompression sickness (DCS) or "the bends." As the diver ascends and the ocean pressure decreases, gases that were absorbed by the body during the dive, come out of solution and, if the ascent is too rapid, can cause bubbles to form in the body.
Any diver returning from ocean depths knows about the hazard of decompression sickness (DCS) or "the bends." As the diver ascends and the ocean pressure decreases, gases that were absorbed by the body during the dive, come out of solution and, if the ascent is too rapid, can cause bubbles to form in the body.
Physiology
Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 22, 2011, 8:15am
Rating: | Views: 1189 | Comments: 0
Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 22, 2011, 8:15am
Rating: | Views: 1189 | Comments: 0
Artificial Intestines Near Reality
A new artificial intestine developed in the lab could help people missing a piece of their gut.
A new artificial intestine developed in the lab could help people missing a piece of their gut.
Physiology
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Friday, Dec 16, 2011, 8:26am
Rating: | Views: 1109 | Comments: 0
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Friday, Dec 16, 2011, 8:26am
Rating: | Views: 1109 | Comments: 0
Blood-sucking mosquitoes keep their cool
No one likes being bitten by whining mosquitoes, but have you ever considered what the experience is like for them as their cold-blooded bodies fill with our warm blood? Now researchers reporting online on December 15 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, have uncovered the mosquitoes' secret to avoiding heat stress: they give up cooling droplets of their hard-won meals.
No one likes being bitten by whining mosquitoes, but have you ever considered what the experience is like for them as their cold-blooded bodies fill with our warm blood? Now researchers reporting online on December 15 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, have uncovered the mosquitoes' secret to avoiding heat stress: they give up cooling droplets of their hard-won meals.
Physiology
Source: Cell Press
Posted on: Friday, Dec 16, 2011, 8:15am
Rating: | Views: 1294 | Comments: 0
Source: Cell Press
Posted on: Friday, Dec 16, 2011, 8:15am
Rating: | Views: 1294 | Comments: 0
Brain and heart link may explain sudden death in Rett
Poets might scoff at the notion that heart and brain are closely related, but scientists led by those at Baylor College of Medicine say a genetic defect that affects the brain can stop a heart.
Poets might scoff at the notion that heart and brain are closely related, but scientists led by those at Baylor College of Medicine say a genetic defect that affects the brain can stop a heart.
Physiology
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 15, 2011, 11:15am
Rating: | Views: 1181 | Comments: 0
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 15, 2011, 11:15am
Rating: | Views: 1181 | Comments: 0
Mystery of the male ostrich's erection solved
The few birds that have penises erect them using a low-pressure fluid that doesn't work very well
The few birds that have penises erect them using a low-pressure fluid that doesn't work very well
Physiology
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 15, 2011, 8:30am
Rating: | Views: 1102 | Comments: 1
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 15, 2011, 8:30am
Rating: | Views: 1102 | Comments: 1
Hairy Men Make Good Bedbug Catchers
People with more body hair are better at detecting crawling parasites
People with more body hair are better at detecting crawling parasites
Physiology
Source: Science
Posted on: Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011, 8:15am
Rating: | Views: 1079 | Comments: 0
Source: Science
Posted on: Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011, 8:15am
Rating: | Views: 1079 | Comments: 0
Hanging with the boys - female Alpine marmots benefit from a bit of pre-natal testosterone
Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota) live in extended family groups of up to 20 individuals. The groups consist of a dominant territorial pair and a number of subordinate individuals, typically descendants of the dominant pair.
Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota) live in extended family groups of up to 20 individuals. The groups consist of a dominant territorial pair and a number of subordinate individuals, typically descendants of the dominant pair.
Physiology
Source: University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna
Posted on: Tuesday, Dec 06, 2011, 1:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1539 | Comments: 0
Source: University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna
Posted on: Tuesday, Dec 06, 2011, 1:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1539 | Comments: 0
People can smell your neuroticism
Getting to know someone usually requires at least a little conversation. But a new study suggests you can get a hint of an individual's personality through his or her scent alone.
Getting to know someone usually requires at least a little conversation. But a new study suggests you can get a hint of an individual's personality through his or her scent alone.
Super athletic mice are fit because their muscles burn more sugar
Muscle performance and fitness are partly determined by how well your muscle cells use sugar as a fuel source. In turn, exercising improves the muscle's ability to take up sugars from the bloodstream and burn them for energy. On the flip side, conditions that reduce physical activity -- such as obesity or chronic disease -- reduce the muscle's capacity to burn sugar.
Muscle performance and fitness are partly determined by how well your muscle cells use sugar as a fuel source. In turn, exercising improves the muscle's ability to take up sugars from the bloodstream and burn them for energy. On the flip side, conditions that reduce physical activity -- such as obesity or chronic disease -- reduce the muscle's capacity to burn sugar.
Physiology
Source: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 01, 2011, 10:00am
Rating: | Views: 1152 | Comments: 0
Source: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Posted on: Thursday, Dec 01, 2011, 10:00am
Rating: | Views: 1152 | Comments: 0
What I Still Hear: Sounds That Have Disappeared
The sounds in our heads are the products of our lives: the tunes we loved, the ads, the jingles, the noises that poured out from the appliances and the living spaces around us. Here are 12 sounds of the times: 6 old and 6 new, to mix and remix. What are the sounds of your life?
The sounds in our heads are the products of our lives: the tunes we loved, the ads, the jingles, the noises that poured out from the appliances and the living spaces around us. Here are 12 sounds of the times: 6 old and 6 new, to mix and remix. What are the sounds of your life?
Physiology
Source: NPR
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 30, 2011, 8:31am
Rating: | Views: 1067 | Comments: 0
Source: NPR
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 30, 2011, 8:31am
Rating: | Views: 1067 | Comments: 0
Body rebuilding: Researchers regenerate muscle in mice
A team of scientists from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and CellThera, a private company located in WPI's Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, have regenerated functional muscle tissue in mice, opening the door for a new clinical therapy to treat people who suffer major muscle trauma.
A team of scientists from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and CellThera, a private company located in WPI's Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, have regenerated functional muscle tissue in mice, opening the door for a new clinical therapy to treat people who suffer major muscle trauma.
Physiology
Source: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 29, 2011, 2:45pm
Rating: | Views: 1352 | Comments: 0
Source: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 29, 2011, 2:45pm
Rating: | Views: 1352 | Comments: 0
New way to boost potency of marijuana-like chemical in body
UC Irvine and Italian researchers have discovered a new means of enhancing the effects of anandamide – a natural, marijuana-like chemical in the body that provides pain relief.
UC Irvine and Italian researchers have discovered a new means of enhancing the effects of anandamide – a natural, marijuana-like chemical in the body that provides pain relief.
Physiology
Source: University of California - Irvine
Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 22, 2011, 12:45pm
Rating: | Views: 1393 | Comments: 0
Source: University of California - Irvine
Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 22, 2011, 12:45pm
Rating: | Views: 1393 | Comments: 0
Critical molecules for hearing and balance discovered
Researchers have found long-sought genes in the sensory hair cells of the inner ear that, when mutated, prevent sound waves from being converted to electric signals – a fundamental first step in hearing.
Researchers have found long-sought genes in the sensory hair cells of the inner ear that, when mutated, prevent sound waves from being converted to electric signals – a fundamental first step in hearing.
Physiology
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Posted on: Monday, Nov 21, 2011, 5:00pm
Rating: | Views: 1344 | Comments: 0
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Posted on: Monday, Nov 21, 2011, 5:00pm
Rating: | Views: 1344 | Comments: 0
Frogs' amazing leaps due to springy tendons
Some species of frogs and many other animals are able to jump far beyond what appear to be their capabilities. The trained contestants in the frog-jumping competition in Calaveras County, Calif., come to mind, but even ordinary frogs can leap several times farther than their physiology would seem to allow.
Some species of frogs and many other animals are able to jump far beyond what appear to be their capabilities. The trained contestants in the frog-jumping competition in Calaveras County, Calif., come to mind, but even ordinary frogs can leap several times farther than their physiology would seem to allow.
Physiology
Source: Brown University
Posted on: Thursday, Nov 17, 2011, 10:30am
Rating: | Views: 1303 | Comments: 0
Source: Brown University
Posted on: Thursday, Nov 17, 2011, 10:30am
Rating: | Views: 1303 | Comments: 0
Why Do We Yawn? It May Keep Us From Getting Hot-Headed
It may not be because you're tired—yawning may activate a sinus "pump" that ventilates your brain, a new study suggests.
It may not be because you're tired—yawning may activate a sinus "pump" that ventilates your brain, a new study suggests.
Physiology
Source: National Geographic News
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 16, 2011, 5:47am
Rating: | Views: 1078 | Comments: 0
Source: National Geographic News
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 16, 2011, 5:47am
Rating: | Views: 1078 | Comments: 0
Understanding the genetics of high blood pressure
A researcher from the University of Leicester's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences has been involved in a new study looking at the causes of high blood pressure.
A researcher from the University of Leicester's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences has been involved in a new study looking at the causes of high blood pressure.
Physiology
Source: University of Leicester
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 09, 2011, 1:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1250 | Comments: 0
Source: University of Leicester
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 09, 2011, 1:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1250 | Comments: 0
Cat's eye irises don't need brain to adapt to the dark
The muscles controlling the slit-like pupil of a cat's eye do not need nerve signals to move – a light-sensitive pigment in the iris can do the job instead
The muscles controlling the slit-like pupil of a cat's eye do not need nerve signals to move – a light-sensitive pigment in the iris can do the job instead
Physiology
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 08, 2011, 7:24am
Rating: | Views: 1094 | Comments: 0
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Tuesday, Nov 08, 2011, 7:24am
Rating: | Views: 1094 | Comments: 0
Kenya's Mutai Breaks New York Marathon Record
The decade-old course record has been slashed by over two minutes.
The decade-old course record has been slashed by over two minutes.
Physiology
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Monday, Nov 07, 2011, 7:49am
Rating: | Views: 1085 | Comments: 0
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Monday, Nov 07, 2011, 7:49am
Rating: | Views: 1085 | Comments: 0
A hormone ensures its future
Much of the body's chemistry is controlled by the brain – from blood pressure to appetite to food metabolism. In a study published recently in Developmental Cell, a team of scientists led by Dr. Gil Levkowitz of the Weizmann Institute has revealed the exact structure of one crucial brain area in which biochemical commands are passed from the brain cells to the bloodstream and from there to the bod
Much of the body's chemistry is controlled by the brain – from blood pressure to appetite to food metabolism. In a study published recently in Developmental Cell, a team of scientists led by Dr. Gil Levkowitz of the Weizmann Institute has revealed the exact structure of one crucial brain area in which biochemical commands are passed from the brain cells to the bloodstream and from there to the bod
Physiology
Source: Weizmann Institute of Science
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 02, 2011, 2:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1180 | Comments: 0
Source: Weizmann Institute of Science
Posted on: Wednesday, Nov 02, 2011, 2:15pm
Rating: | Views: 1180 | Comments: 0
Reindeer stay cool in fur coats
Reindeer pant to lower their brain temperatures when running in fur coats, according to research.
Reindeer pant to lower their brain temperatures when running in fur coats, according to research.
Physiology
Source: BBC News
Posted on: Thursday, Oct 27, 2011, 8:04am
Rating: | Views: 1090 | Comments: 0
Source: BBC News
Posted on: Thursday, Oct 27, 2011, 8:04am
Rating: | Views: 1090 | Comments: 0
Why do woodpeckers resist head impact injury?
Head injury is a common concern around the world, but researchers suggest that woodpeckers may have an answer for minimizing such devastating injuries. As reported in the Oct. 26 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE, an analysis of woodpecker anatomy and behavior revealed some features that could potentially be put to use in designing more effective helmets.
Head injury is a common concern around the world, but researchers suggest that woodpeckers may have an answer for minimizing such devastating injuries. As reported in the Oct. 26 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE, an analysis of woodpecker anatomy and behavior revealed some features that could potentially be put to use in designing more effective helmets.
Physiology
Source: Public Library of Science
Posted on: Thursday, Oct 27, 2011, 8:00am
Rating: | Views: 1527 | Comments: 0
Source: Public Library of Science
Posted on: Thursday, Oct 27, 2011, 8:00am
Rating: | Views: 1527 | Comments: 0
New pathway critical to heart arrhythmia
University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have uncovered a previously unknown molecular pathway that is critical to understanding cardiac arrhythmia and other heart muscle problems. Understanding the basic science of heart and muscle function could open the door to new treatments. The study, published recently in the journal Cell, examined the electrical impulses that coordinate
University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have uncovered a previously unknown molecular pathway that is critical to understanding cardiac arrhythmia and other heart muscle problems. Understanding the basic science of heart and muscle function could open the door to new treatments. The study, published recently in the journal Cell, examined the electrical impulses that coordinate
Physiology
Source: University of Maryland Medical Center
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011, 4:45pm
Rating: | Views: 1297 | Comments: 0
Source: University of Maryland Medical Center
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011, 4:45pm
Rating: | Views: 1297 | Comments: 0
Simple gut hormone combo makes our brains think we're full
Many of us would love nothing more than to trick ourselves into believing we are full even as our stomachs remain empty. Now, a new brain imaging study reported in the November issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism suggests there might just be a way. The key is to go with our guts – just two gut hormones, that is.
Many of us would love nothing more than to trick ourselves into believing we are full even as our stomachs remain empty. Now, a new brain imaging study reported in the November issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism suggests there might just be a way. The key is to go with our guts – just two gut hormones, that is.
Physiology
Source: Cell Press
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011, 11:00am
Rating: | Views: 1318 | Comments: 0
Source: Cell Press
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011, 11:00am
Rating: | Views: 1318 | Comments: 0
Why Spiders Will Always Find You
Spiders are among the most vibration-sensitive organisms in the world, second only to cockroaches.
Spiders are among the most vibration-sensitive organisms in the world, second only to cockroaches.
Physiology
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011, 8:11am
Rating: | Views: 1119 | Comments: 0
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011, 8:11am
Rating: | Views: 1119 | Comments: 0
Blood vessel mapping reveals 4 new 'ZIP codes'
A research team led by scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered four new "ZIP codes" in their quest to map the vast blood vessel network of the human body.
A research team led by scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered four new "ZIP codes" in their quest to map the vast blood vessel network of the human body.
Physiology
Source: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Posted on: Tuesday, Oct 25, 2011, 12:30pm
Rating: | Views: 1176 | Comments: 0
Source: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Posted on: Tuesday, Oct 25, 2011, 12:30pm
Rating: | Views: 1176 | Comments: 0
Revealed: Why giant pandas can stomach bamboo
Researchers unlock mystery surrounding giant pandas' ability to digest bamboo
Researchers unlock mystery surrounding giant pandas' ability to digest bamboo
Physiology
Source: CBSNews
Posted on: Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011, 8:33am
Rating: | Views: 1077 | Comments: 0
Source: CBSNews
Posted on: Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011, 8:33am
Rating: | Views: 1077 | Comments: 0
Is a Two-Hour Marathon Within Reach?
Yes, but it will take a high VO2 max, peak running economy, good health and the right mental space.
Yes, but it will take a high VO2 max, peak running economy, good health and the right mental space.
Physiology
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Monday, Oct 17, 2011, 8:29am
Rating: | Views: 1110 | Comments: 0
Source: Discovery Channel News
Posted on: Monday, Oct 17, 2011, 8:29am
Rating: | Views: 1110 | Comments: 0
Bumpy nipple smells guide babies to milk
Secretions from bumps around the nipple help infants find their way to the breast and increase mouth movements
Secretions from bumps around the nipple help infants find their way to the breast and increase mouth movements
Physiology
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011, 8:24am
Rating: | Views: 1092 | Comments: 0
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Wednesday, Oct 12, 2011, 8:24am
Rating: | Views: 1092 | Comments: 0
Inside of nose reveals time of death
Tiny finger-like projections lining the nose slowly stop beating hours after death, providing clues to when the person died
Tiny finger-like projections lining the nose slowly stop beating hours after death, providing clues to when the person died
Physiology
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Tuesday, Oct 04, 2011, 8:16am
Rating: | Views: 1108 | Comments: 0
Source: New Scientist
Posted on: Tuesday, Oct 04, 2011, 8:16am
Rating: | Views: 1108 | Comments: 0
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