Group items tagged

Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia followed 144 older people who had mild cognitive impairment for seven years. To gauge how much iron was in their brains, they measured ferritin, a protein that binds to the metal, in their cerebrospinal fluid. For every nanogram per millilitre people had at the start of the study, they were diagnosed with Alzheimer's on average three months earlier. The team also found that the biggest risk gene for Alzheimer's, ApoE4, was strongly linked with higher iron, suggesting this is why carrying the gene makes you more vulnerable.

Published today (17:00BST, 03/06/2015) in the journal Neuron, their work presents strong evidence that disruption of a delicate chemical balance in the brain is heavily implicated in the disorder. In the largest ever study of its kind, the team found that disease-linked mutations disrupt specific sets of genes contributing to excitatory and inhibitory signalling, the balance of which plays a crucial role in healthy brain development and function.

Can't remember every viral infection you've ever had? Don't worry, your blood can. A new test surveys the antibodies present in a person's bloodstream to reveal a history of the viruses they've been infected with throughout their life. The method could be useful not only for diagnosing current and past illnesses, but for developing vaccines and studying links between viruses and chronic disease.

People who are attracted to others of the same sex develop their orientation before they are born. This is not a choice. And scientific evidence shows their parents cannot be blamed. Research proving that there is biological evidence for sexual orientation has been available since the 1980s. The links have been emphasised by new scientific research.

Research on a modified protein around which DNA is wrapped sheds light on how gene regulation is linked to aging and longevity in nematodes, fruit flies and possibly humans. The research has implications for how gene expression is regulated, and could offer a new drug target for age-related diseases.

Scientists are now one step closer to understanding how genetic mutations contribute to autism. In a study released Thursday in the journal Cell, experts from UNC School of Medicine discovered how one specific autism-linked gene mutation actually works

With increasing U.S. government support for biofuel production in the late 2000s came increased pressure to convert more land to cornfields for ethanol. To make way for more corn, millions of acres of prairie grassland were plowed under, destroying an extremely diverse wildlife habitat that also served as a large carbon reservoir. This case study focuses on the reasons for and consequences of large carbon losses when prairie grasslands are converted to agricultural lands. Many students are challenged when faced with linking together energy flows, decomposition, and nutrient cycles.  This case gives students the opportunity to consider different pools in the carbon cycle and the fluxes between them in order to model (on paper) an integrated picture of why carbon is lost when prairie grasslands are plowed and planted to cornfields.  Students also consider ways that carbon loss from land conversion due to ethanol production might be avoided via government incentive programs or mitigated via changes to farming practices. This case study was developed for an introductory ecology, environmental science, soil science, or agriculture course.

Lesson with comprehensive links to genetic disorders

Links to wide array of virtual labs

With support from the National Science Foundation, we assisted in developing bioinformatics curriculum for high schools and popular bioinformatics tutorials that are used in both college and high school classes. We have shared these materials at several Bio-Link workshops, and at workshops sponsored by CCURI, Tulsa Community College (SEEDBed award), and DelMar College.  Digital World Biology is also partnering with the Amgen Biotech Experience at Shoreline Community College to assist in providing professional development opportunities for high school teachers.

Look no further! This page is a gold mine for teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The grade level science and math buttons will take you to the best of lessons done by area teachers in ScienceWise courses as their requirement for graduate credit. The "Other Resources" button leads to links for national websites, each with numerous, vetted lesson plans, classified by topic and grade level.

he National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix is an online, searchable, and standards-based curriculum map for K-12 teachers. The Matrix contextualizes national education standards in science, social studies, and nutrition education with relevant instructional resources linked to Common Core Standards. Search our instructional, classroom-ready resources now! After you find what you need, consider storing them in your personal binder - MyBinder!

BioLEAP is a comprehensive educational resource for students who do not wish to take part in classroom dissection exercises, and for teachers and school districts looking to introduce dissection alternatives into their curricula. These "alternatives" are really "advancements" in teaching tools that capitalize on 21st century technologies that can enhance a student's understanding of anatomy, physiology and the life sciences in general. The following links will provide you with cost-effective and humane alternatives to animal use in the classroom, as well as provide you with information about student choice laws and policies that protect students' rights to use dissection alternatives.

The Rare Disease Foundation is focussed on linking basic science and clinical practice to increase the efficiency of rare disease research. This model is called Translational Care. This model drives patient based, treatment focussed research projects from disease characterization to treatment with greater efficiency. By incorporating research, astute clinician observation and parental knowledge into the various stages of rare disease research we impact the speed of discovery and the way rare conditions are managed.

Here is a list of additional resources for Inquire High School. These inquiry resources include great links to Web sites, articles, videos, and much more that supports inquiry

A major new study of smoking and death has banged more nails into the coffin of cigarette smoking, though chances are it will do little to persuade any of the 42 million American smokers to quit. If current smokers have not already responded to the well-established links between smoking and 21 diseases that together cause 480,000 deaths each year, adding another five diseases and 60,000 deaths to this grisly total is unlikely to make a difference - at least not by itself.

Comprehensive list of sites regarding animal research.

[ 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."

Reference  page with definition and many links to information on bioaccumulation

Biologists estimate that there are about 5 to 100 million species of organisms living on Earth today. Evidence from morphological, biochemical, and gene sequence data suggests that all organisms on Earth are genetically related, and the genealogical relationships of living things can be represented by a vast evolutionary tree, the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life then represents the phylogeny of organisms, i. e., the history of organismal lineages as they change through time. It implies that different species arise from previous forms via descent, and that all organisms, from the smallest microbe to the largest plants and vertebrates, are connected by the passage of genes along the branches of the phylogenetic tree that links all of Life (Figure 1).