The Big Questions in Science: The Quest to Solve the Great Unknowns Part II

Hey again!

This is Part II to the sneak previews of this awesome book- 'The Big Questions in Science: The Quest to Solve the Great Unknowns' which delves deeper into the inexplicable things on Earth (and outside Earth). So, here goes...Qn. 6!

Big Question #6: Why do we dream?

Considering that we spend a third of our lives sleeping, we really should have figured out the mysteries of dreams and their cause, but apparently not. Scientists are still confounded on why we dream, though Sigmund Freud (Founding Father of Psychoanalysis) believed that dreams are expressions of unfulfilled desires (often sexual ahem ahem), many others seem to wonder if they are just random fabrications of a sleeping brain. Recent advances in brain imaging and studies on animals suggest that dreams could play a role in learning, emotions and our memory. Here is a study on rats' dreams and how it could help in memory enhancement.

Big Question #7: Why is there stuff?

This seems to be a dumb question and honestly, I don't blame you as I thought the same. However, this could be easier to understand if we knew that the stuff you're made of- matter- has a counterpart known as antimatter, which differs in electrical charge and according to many theories, is equal to the amount of matter there is in the universe. When matter and antimatter meet, both spontaneously vanish in flash of energy, meaning that technically, all matter should have met its counterpart by now, leaving only energy in its wake. Clearly, nature seems to be a tad biased towards matter- Why? That is what scientists have been trying to understand and readers will be enlightened about that in this book. More info right over here.

Big Question #8: Are there other universes?

Well, I really can't say much about the idea of having more than one universe as I'm a Bio person and this involves a lot of knowledge on quantum physics (except DOCTOR WHO FTW!) Our universe could be unwelcoming to any form of life if even the slightest of changes were made. So how could the universe be this precise, making it possible for the existence of life? This is why scientists have been turning to the concept of a "multiverse" where there are multiple universes- each one with a different combination of settings being played out and we find ourselves in the one that is welcoming to life. It sounds impossible but evidence from quantum physics says otherwise. You could go to this site to delve deeper.

Big Question #9: How do we beat bacteria?

Antibiotics are a milestone in modern medicine- the discovery by Sir Alexander Fleming winning a

Nobel prize- as they fight some of the most terrifying diseases. However, this legacy is being beaten by multidrug-resistant bacteria which kills as many as 25000 Europeans annually. The problem of the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been worsening due to overprescription and the misuse of the drugs. Apparently, 80% of US antibiotics is being misused in boosting farm animal growth! However, many medical advances have been made and cures are in the process of being discovered:

• DNA sequencing aiding in the discovery of new antibiotics that no one knew existed.
• Transplant of "good" bacteria from fecal matter 
• Searching for bacteria in deep oceans

With such advances, we might be able to survive the battle against organisms older than us by at least 3 billion years.

Big Question #10: Can we live forever?

Yes, scientists do think so. This is quite obvious from the fact that in our time, ageing is not thought of as an inevitable part of life as it has been for many years, but as a disease that can be treated and maybe even, prevented. We have abundance of knowledge on what causes us to age, what allows some animals to have longer life spans. Clues about DNA damage, the balance of ageing, metabolism and reproductive fitness and the genes that regulate this balance are helping scientists find the answers- leading to potential treatment.


This book answers many other huge questions in Science, excluding the ones I have compiled (just the ones that I could really understand). So, if you're curious, do try it out as it seems extremely cool to me! Have fun!

Fare thee well.

Love,
us

The Big Questions in Science: The Quest to Solve the Great Unknowns

That was the title of a book (a rather cool one at that). So, please do know that we are certainly not equipped to "solve the great unknowns" and are definitely not going to answer the "big questions in Science" but the guy who wrote it, Andre Deutsch, sure seems to. However, I could give you a little sneak preview designed to intrigue! :D

There are so many puzzles out there in the universe, that is, if there's only one of them...(Parallel Universe! DW FTW!)

Big Question #1: What is the universe made of?

Well, astronomers seem to be struggling with that for quite along time. Atoms, which form everything we can see, only consist of a measly 5% of the universe. What about the vast 95% that's unaccounted for? This remainder is comprised of 2 shadowy entities- dark energy and dark (magic..haha just kidding) matter. Dark matter, first discovered in 1933 seems to be an invisible glue that binds the galaxies into clusters and those clusters into our universe. Dark energy is revealed to be the force that is pushing the universe's expansion to greater speeds still. However, with the rapid advancements of Science, astronomers are getting closer than ever to discovering the identities of these alien entities.

Big Question #2: How did life begin?.

It is said that four billion years ago, some simple chemicals came together and made up the first

molecules capable of replicating themselves. We, humans, are linked to these molecules through evolution. But HOW did those basic chemicals spontaneously arrange themselves into life? How did we get DNA? What did the earliest cells look like? Scientists still argue about what happened. Some say life began in hot pools near volcanoes while others say it's because of the meteorites that hit the sea. This book presents some insight into this.

Big Question #3: Are we alone in the universe?

Perhaps not. There has been a lot of speculation on this. Astrobiologists have been scouring the universe for places that might have given rise to life. Radio telescopes have been eavesdropping on possible alien conversations for many years and in 1977, a signal that could possibly be of an alien message has actually been heard. The next few decades are going to be exciting for any alien-hunter with more than 60 billion habitable planets in our milky way alone...and loads more in the whole universe.

Big Question #4: What makes us human?

Honestly, just looking at your DNA doesn't help- the human genome is practically 99% identical (yes, identical, the absolute same) to a chimpanzee's and, in fact, 50% to a banana's! We do, however, have bigger brains than most other animals, with three times as many neurons as a gorilla (86 billions!). Things like language, tool-use and recognising your appearance on the mirror: attributes once thought to define humans, are observed in other animals as well. It might be our culture or its effect on our genes that makes the difference. Scientists seem to think cooking and mastering the use of fire might have helped us gain big brains. Perhaps, it's our capacity for co-operation and skills trade that makes us humans.

Big Question #5: What is consciousness? (Click here to find out the 8 Big Questions on Consciousness! Honestly, I'm too lazy to summarize that)

Consciousness. Sounds simple? I think not. And apparently, scientists agree. While it's been determined that it's to do with different brain regions networked together rather than a singular part, we still do not know which parts of the brain is involved and how this neural circuitry works- the ways to figure out how consciousness emerges. This discovery might be sped up by artificial intelligence and the attempts to build a brain neuron by neuron. However, the tougher question seems to be, Why does anything have to be conscious? It could be that, by processing loads of information and integrating it as well as alternating between blocking and focusing on specific information instead of letting our senses bombard us, distinguishing between the real and unreal is possible. Going one step further, we are able to fabricate future scenarios which help in adapting and surviving.

OK that's it for today! I've already typed two bloody posts and I'm knackered. So await part 2 of this post and for now, Sleep Tight Lovelies! :D

Love,
us (:

The Dynamics of Epidemics, Infectious Diseases And Battle Strategie

BONJOUR!

It's been ages (yes, I know. ages.) and so, to compensate, I decided to share some particularly terrifying information, that's still in the realms of Biology (But I really did want to tell you a ghost story though...It's about this mirror of this olden British Family that's been passed down from family to family for years and years and then, one day..ahem, I should probably stop rambling.)

For those who decided to ignore the first paragraph 'cos I always ramble in the first one, I'm impressed (and maybe a little bit sad...just a little..just a leetle, honestly! :P ) So, today, on the agenda, we've got Epidemics and Infectious Diseases! Yippeee (err, i think?)

• Infectious diseases have always been a major killer.
• Epidemic:
• Diseases caused by infectious organisms which occasionally occur at large numbers (Not

  

  Spread of Bubonic Plague

  all infectious diseases are epidemics)
• Spreads from person to person
• As long as each person transmits the disease to more than one person, the disease will grow exponentially- dramatic spread that characterizes an epidemic- in a short period of time.
• In the Middle ages, the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) Epidemic caused by Yersina pestis spread across Europe and killed at least 3 in every 10 Europeans in a span of 4 years!

• Infectious Diseases:
• It's not the disease that spreads but the organism causing the disease.
• There are diseases whose underlying cause (e.g. a microorganism) can't spread from person to person such as those caused by toxins in the environment or genetic disorders.
• You may be surprised but 20% of all cancers are caused by transmissible microorganisms (viruses and bacteria)!
• Disease, when caused by microorganisms, is an outcome of an intricate interplay between the biology of the microorganism, the biology of its host and the environment.
• For e.g., between 2 people who are exposed to the exact same environment, one may be totally unharmed while another gets a disease caused by bacteria in that environment due to the complex interaction between the microorganism and its host.

• However, the improved sanitation and medical treatment of the modern day drastically reduce likelihood of death from infectious diseases.
• Infectious diseases don't pose the same threat as it used to
• E.g. Beginning of 20th century: In USA, infectious diseases caused 8 deaths per 1000 people every year.

• Individual Epidemics still do happen however, for instance, the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
• Pandemic are world-wide epidemics
• Left unchecked, infectious microorganisms could still kill us by the millions.
• The fight against epidemics lie in understanding how microorganisms spread, cause diseases and how our bodies fight back.

• Fighting a pandemic is very interdisciplinary:
• Biologists: Identify the underlying molecular mechanisms or the infection
• Medical Doctors: Prevent and Treat affected people
• Public Health Specialists: Understand the strategies governments can put in place to curb the spread of disease
• Communication Experts: Understand how to disseminate information through the various forms of media in the best way
• Computational Scientists: Monitor the situation in real time

Lo and Behold! Presenting...Those who Bloody
Save Our Lives!

• Even after a pandemic is under control, the fight doesn't end as Microorganisms that cause diseases are (not static):
• Biological Organisms subject to their own struggle for existence
• Constantly changing in order to survive in the face of changes that we impose upon them
• Their struggle of existence can be seen in the development of resistance to the drugs and vaccines we employ to prevent disease spread
• The rise of Antibiotic Resistance is a direct consequence of evolution of bacteria in response to the drugs we use to treat them.

Thus, as long as life goes on and the Earth is still revolving, infectious diseases and the microorganisms that cause them are going to be around so we're in for the long run, and Pathology and Biomedical Research are not about to leave in a hurry.
Moral of the story? Well, really, all you can learn from this is: Respect the people working to save your future lives that might or might not be plagued by disease (plagued, get it? c'mon, please tell me you do!)

Remember, The Battle Is Never Over against infectious diseases. 

On that cheery note, Toodles!

Love,

us

Draw Your DNA: structure and functions of the DNA

HOWDY! :)

So, since I figured there would probably be a million posts about genes and DNA in our blog, I've decided to give any poor souls out there who might have trouble understanding, a DNA crash course! :D

What is DNA?

Well, its the molecule that ensures that elephants can't give birth to tigers and roses never give birth to cacti. DNA is the abbreviation of Deoxyribonucleic Acid and it contains the biological instructions
or simply, the recipe of the species of organism it's in. As it is passed on from adult to offspring, the recipe is passed on like a family secret and the offspring are born as the same species as the parent.

Where do I find DNA?

It's found in the cell nucleus. Due to the nucleus being extremely small and having to hold more than just one molecule of DNA in it, the DNA has to be tightly packed. Each of these packages are called chromosomes.

DNA unwinds during DNA replication for it to be copied and at some other times in the cell cycle for instructions to issued out for making proteins and other biological processes. However, it's in its compact chromosome during cell division for enabling transfer to new cells.

In humans and other complex organisms, DNA is also found in small amounts in cell structures called mitochondria, which generate energy for cells to function properly. DNA found in the nucleus is called nuclear DNA and the complete set of DNA of an organism is called genome. In sexual reproduction, organisms inherit half of their nuclear DNA from the male parent and the other half from the female. However, organisms inherit all of their mitochondrial DNA from the female as only egg cells keep their mitochondria during fertilization while sperm don't.

What is DNA made up of?

It is made up of building blocks called nucleotides, linked into chains.
Nucleotides are made up of 3 parts:
1. A phosphate group

strand of DNA

2. A sugar group
3. One of 4 types of nitrogen bases

Nucleotides.
Note: The sugar-phosphate group reverses on the opposite side. 

Nitrogen Bases:
1. Adenine (A)
2. Thymine (T)
3. Guanine (G)
4. Cytosine (C)

The sequence of these bases determine the biological instructions contained in a strand of DNA. For instance, ATCGTA might instruct green eyes while CGTAAT might instruct for grey ones.

Each DNA sequence that together make up an instruction is known as a gene. The size of a gene might differ ranging from 1000 nitrogen bases to even 1 million, in humans. The complete genome approximately has 3 billion bases(!!!), divided into about 20 000 genes and 23 chromosome pairs.


What is the function of DNA?

It contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. DNA sequences are converted into messages that are used to produce proteins- complex molecules that carry out most of our body's functions.

How are DNA sequences used to make proteins?

There are 2 steps for DNA's instruction to be used to make proteins.

Step1: Enzymes read the information in a DNA molecule and transcribe it into an intermediate molecule called messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).

Step2: The information in the mRNA molecule is translated into the "language" of amino acids(building blocks of proteins), which tells the cell's protein-making machinery (ribosomes) the order in which to link the amino acids. This daunting task is called translation and the full (tedious and advanced) process is explained right over here. The most astonishing part is that this huge process that we can't even fully comprehend is done by our cells, which seem to know exactly what to do!

I guess that's it for today. Hope you know at least a teensy bit more now than before about DNA and its ultimate awesomeness! Check out the library for those who want to know more!

The Genius molecule :D

Goodnight guys!

Love,
us

Evolution of Medicine: Over the Years...

HEYO people! :D

Today, let's explore the development of medicine over the years. Specialists say medicine has gone through three major stages.


The First stage: This was the stage ridden with superstition, witchcraft and tattletales. There was also no systematic way of finding new therapies. No uniform comprehensible Scientific method. Remedies that worked were closely guarded and were only even offered to the wealthy patients(!!!)

Estimated Life Expectancy: 18-20 years

Important Discoveries: Medicinal herbs discovered during this time could be counted with one hand, two of which were aspirin and morphine.

The Second stage: This was the time of World War I. The coming of germ theory and better sanitation and hygiene. Due to the deaths of many in the European battlefields, real results and reproducible experiments became imperative. The doctors started fighting for legitimacy and published many papers in medical journals.

Estimated Life Expectancy: 49 years

Important discovereis: Advances in antibiotics and life-expectancy increasing vaccines so as for people to live to 70 years old.


The Third Stage: This was when medicine took a turn and morphed into something larger than life. The merger of physics and medicine- reduction of medicine into atoms and molecules, genes and cells. This historic transformation began in the 1940s, when one of the founders of the quantum theory-Erwin Schrodinger- wrote a book that rejected the ideals of mystery and unseen forces animating life and suggesting the theory of there being a code to life. Yes, the beginnings of DNA research.

Estimated Life Expectancy: over 70 years :D

Important Discoveries:
- 1953. Geneticist James Watson and Physicist Francis Crick unlocked the structure of the DNA-the double helix. Also, they discovered that it contains a sequence of 3 billion nucleic acids, called (yeah you know it) Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine, which carry the code.

*FUN FACT: A single strand of DNA stretches 6 feet long!*

- 2003. Human Genome Project completion, which is truly a milestone in medicine advancements. It's basically a massive, crash program to sequence all the genes of the human body. To find out more, check out the post about The Human Genome Project on our blog! It is expected that eventually, everyone in the world will have his/her personalized genome sequence-the secrets of her life and inheritance- available on CD-ROM!

That is all for now! Look out for more medicine related stuff in the future! We might even have an article about the future of medicine! If you're interested in further reading, have a look at this cool website (umm i don't know how cool it is but it is extremely thorough!)

CIAO! :)

Love, us

40 Million Dollar Home for the UNF's Bio Students

HI again :D

Back with news on the new home to Bio Dept. at University of North Florida! Opened in spring of 2012, it has been recently showcased for the #ilovejax campaign and has impressed many. Many suggest that this building might even be "one of the best-designed for Biology" in the United States.

What does this building have? What is so awesome about it?

How does it look? :D

It has been built with almost 45 labs, including those for virology, ecology, genetics, physiology and molecular biology as well as cool State-of-the-Art Lecture Halls and many other extraordinary and high tech facilities!












The level of technology and new-age mechanism applied in this building can be observed by the fact that their microscope is 250 thousand dollars and needs protection that is able to absorb even the faintest ground-level tremors.


To know more, click here!








So...that was just some visual dessert for you :) Who knows...maybe one of you guys reading this might  end up studying or even teaching here! :D

Anyway, see you later with cooler news and fun facts! Laters!

Love,
us

The Human Genome: Blueprint of Life

Hola amigos!

I'm sure you've wondered, being Bio fans, how we even have a graphical representation of all the chromosomes. Who was the genius behind it? When did it come about? How did we manage to map it out?

Well, years ago, in the nineteen hundreds, we had absolutely no idea or way to read the whole human genome. But of course, we humans, who can't stand not knowing anything, couldn't bear it. So in 1998, a group of Scientists started the Human Genome Project with a goal of eventually being able to read the entire human genome. However, the real discovery only came about when a vivacious Scientist, Craig Venter, founded a new company to read the human genome in only 4 years- almost half the predicted duration to catalogue the human genome.

Firstly, who is Venter and why was his claim so important?

Dr Craig Venter

You see, Venter has made such threats before and unexpected as it is, has managed to deliver favorable results. In 1991, he found a quick way to locate human genes when it seemed impossible to many renowned scientists. In 1995, despite mocking by even the government, he mapped a complete bacterial genome using a new "shotgun" technique. Thus, it would be pretty foolish to bet against his call on this one either. The Human Genome Project was reorganized and refocused with Venter and a deadline to draft the genome roughly was set at June 2000.

JUNE 26 2000. A phenomenal date in the history of genetics. The extraordinary date when a species could read its own recipe, could answer the huge question: What makes me human? What is used in making me human? Essentially, we had a draft of the blueprint of our genome- the instructions of how to build a human.

Why do we even research so deep into human genetics?

Most of human genetic research is intended to aid in medical advancements- cures for inherited diseases, genetic mutations, understanding cancer genes and cancer-suppressing genes. etc. However, the value of knowing- really knowing- the human genes does not stop there.

The human genome is a puzzle- a cryptographic code of human life, history, customs and philosophy. In our world of rapidly expanding genetic research, there are astounding discoveries and mind boggling mysteries opened up to us everyday. The debate over genetics is spreading all over the world- controversies over genetic engineering, cloning and many more. However, all in all, genetic knowledge is a blessing. To be able to understand the molecular nature of carcinogenic cells, to diagnose and prevent Alzheimer's disease (which is carried in our genes), to uncover the deepest secrets of human history ingrained in our genes and to even reconstruct organs- those are extraordinary and would benefit mankind immensely! Of course, we have to take all of that with a pinch of salt as genetic knowledge could also lead to unfair health insurance premiums & new forms of biological warfare. But most problems are so far-fetched, you can't even see them so...

Blueprint of Human Life

Buckle up and get ready for a bumpy, breathtaking ride of awesomesauce Bio!

Adios!

Love,
us