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n this interrupted case study, students learn about the influence of early fetal nutritional conditions on the expression of genes related to metabolism and growth. Beginning with the true event of a food and fuel embargo that led to famine in the western Netherlands toward the end of World War II, students learn about the historical background of the Dutch Hunger Winter and its social impact. Using real data from the study conducted by Heijmans and coauthors (2008), students then compare the methylation level of a specific gene between individuals conceived during the famine and their unaffected siblings, and how changes in the expression of this metabolically important gene may impact the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Supported by other studies on mice and in humans, students conclude that in utero events may impact the health of individuals later in life through epigenetic mechanisms. The case is ideally suited for a molecular or cell biology course, but is also appropriate for an introductory biology course in which students have an understanding of descriptive statistics, interpretation of statistical test results, eukaryotic gene structure, and regulation of gene expression.

That's why the annual County Health Rankings are important. They not only show health standards at a local level-they also show the multiple factors that pertain to health outcomes, everything from racial segregation and sleep patterns to smoking rates and access to decent food.

The study is the first to find that people's bodies metabolize bisphenol-A (BPA) - a chemical found in most people and used in polycarbonate plastic, food cans and paper receipts - into something that impacts our cells and may make us fat. The research, from Health Canada, challenges an untested assumption that our liver metabolizes BPA into a form that doesn't impact our health.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or genetically engineered (GE) foods have the potential to cause a variety of health problems.  For example, they may produce new allergens and toxins, and spread harmful traits to non-GMO crops. In addition, at least one major environmental impact of genetic engineering has already reached critical proportions: overuse of herbicide-tolerant GE crops has spurred an increase in herbicide use and an epidemic of herbicide-resistant "superweeds," which will lead to even more herbicide use. The long-term impacts of GMOs are unknown, and once released into the environment they cannot be recalled.  

This case study was inspired by a real-life scenario, and follows the story of Roberto, a migrant farmworker whose health is impacted by the usage of pesticides on a farm.  With the help of a health care provider, Roberto becomes aware of the effects of pesticides on his well-being. Students utilize a database and draw conclusions from data in order to answer the case questions.  The case concludes with an activity that uses the "intimate debate" technique in which students use scientific data as evidence to argue whether or not the pesticide under discussion should be banned from usage.  This case was originally developed for undergraduate anatomy and physiology or toxicology courses. Students are expected to have some background knowledge in nerve structure and function as well as the mechanics of neural transmission before starting the case.

Biology is making it clearer by the day that a man's health and well-being have a measurable impact on his future children's health and happiness. 

A new study, published and reviewed in Nature magazine, shows the changes in shades of green (a proxy for plant health) in response to certain environmental factors - in this case, temperature, water availability and cloud cover.

The world is becoming more urban every day, and the process has been ongoing since the industrial revolution in the 18th century. The United Nations now estimates that 3.9 billion people live in urban centres. The rapid influx of residents is however not universal and the developed countries are already urban, but the big rise in urban population in the next 30 years is expected to be in Asia and Africa. Urbanization leads to many challenges for global health and the epidemiology of infectious diseases. New megacities can be incubators for new epidemics, and zoonotic diseases can spread in a more rapid manner and become worldwide threats. Adequate city planning and surveillance can be powerful tools to improve the global health and decrease the burden of communicable diseases.

mpacts and adaptations of climate change across the major regions of the US. Also broken down across 10 sectors-agriculture, coasts, ecosystems, energy, human ,health, etc. 

In this audio slide show, Dr. Dana Dolinoy of Duke University explains the role that the epigenome, a sort of second genome, plays in regulating the expression of our genes. As Dolinoy notes, we can no longer say with certainty whether genetics or the environment have a greater impact on our health, because the two are inextricably linked through the epigenome.

[ February 17, 2008 ] People who lack a certain large segment of DNA have a previously unrecognized syndrome characterized by mental retardation, seizures, and slight physical abnormalities, according to a genetic analysis conducted by HHMI investigator Evan E. Eichler at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a team of international collaborators. The deleted DNA segment is responsible for just a small percentage of cases of mental retardation, but "when you think about how common mental retardation is," Eichler says, "this deletion has a significant impact on human health."

In this video Paul Andersen explains how chemicals can cause both chronic and acute diseases. A discussion of the five main types of toxins; neurotoxins, carcinogens, teratogens, endocrine disruptors, and allergens is including. The LD50 method of determining toxicity as well as a discussion of bioaccumulation and biomagnification is is included.

As the narrative goes, fat is bad. Well, it's actually more nuanced than that. The type of fat you eat is more impactful on your health than the quantity. George Zaidan examines triglycerides, the varied molecules that make up fat, and how to identify which types of fat you are consuming.

For this third episode of our video series with Vox's Future Perfect team, we went to North Carolina, a state that's been battling the public health and environmental impact of hog lagoons for decades. The issue is especially grave in this state due to the vulnerable populations who bear the brunt of this pollution, and because hog facilities are so concentrated in such a small area.

U.S. researchers have found that Zika can attack special populations of brain cells in adult mice in the part of the brain involved in learning and memory, raising new questions about how the virus may be impacting millions of adults who have been infected with the virus. The findings, published on Thursday in the journal "Cell Stem Cell," are the first to look at whether Zika can attack the same kinds of cells in adult mice that they do in fetal mice.

Organic food has become the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. food industry, with sales that increase by double digits annually. That's a lot of kale flying off the shelves. Buying it makes us feel like we're helping ourselves and the planet. But here's the truth: There are no health benefits from eating organic food. And it is likely worse for the environment.

China is engulfed in an extreme amount of pollution, and it's causing health problems for people living in this area! How can we help fight some of these diseases? Laci explains how broccoli could incredibly helpful when it comes to ridding the body of deadly toxins! Follow DNews on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dnews Follow Laci on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gogreen18  Read More: China's toxic air pollution resembles nuclear winter, say scientists http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014... "Air pollution now impeding photosynthesis and potentially wreaking havoc on country's food supply, experts warn."

Around the world, disease-carrying mosquitoes are advancing at speed, taking viruses such as dengue and Zika, plus a host of lesser-known ills such as chikungunya and St. Louis encephalitis, into new territories from Europe to the Pacific. "The concern is that we have these species spreading everywhere. Today the focus is on Zika but they can carry many different viruses and pathogens," said Anna-Bella Failloux, head of the department that tracks mosquito viruses at France's Institut Pasteur.

comprehensive data repository and analysis tools with many data sources to graph and investigate

A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them. "We may be sitting on a precipice of a major extinction event," said Douglas J. McCauley, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an author of the new research, which was published on Thursday in the journal Science.