From Slate Magazine
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So, why does your stomach growl? In one word, peristalsis. It is triggered by appetite and even after you have eaten food. It is just much more noticeable when your digestive tract is empty. Click the link below to learn more about borborygimus and the whole digestive tract.http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/stomach-growling1.htm
In light of changes that have occurred that might have a lot of discussions around it, in school and out, please remember that you are my students, that the focus on class will be on biology and class will be like it always has been. I value every one of you and the varied perspectives that you bring to school related and life related issues. I hope that in the transition period this mutual respect shines through. I also hope that all of you guys- aka y'all, know how much it means to me to call you my students. The HL blog has extra credit on it that extend to all of you- extra credit animal costume still applies so please put your energies into something creative. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19848109 Mammoth carcass found in Siberia The carcass, discovered on Russia's Taimyr Peninsula, still has one of its tusks A well-preserved mammoth carcass has been found by an 11-year-old boy in the permafrost of northern Siberia. The remains were discovered at the end of August in Sopochnaya Karga, 3,500km (2,200 miles) northeast of Moscow.A team of experts from St Petersburg then spent five days in September extracting the body from frozen mud.The mammoth is estimated to have been around 16 years old when it died; it stood 2m tall and weighed 500kg.It has been named Zhenya, after Zhenya Salinder, the 11-year-old who found the carcass while walking his dogs in the area. Alexei Tikhonov, from the St Petersburg Zoology Institute, who led the team excavating the mammoth, said this specimen could either have been killed by Ice Age humans, or by a rival mammoth. He added that it was well preserved for an adult specimen. His colleague Sergei Gorbunov, from the International Mammoth Committee, which works to recover and safeguard such remains, said: "We had to use both traditional instruments such as axes, picks, shovels as well as such devices as this "steamer" which allowed us to thaw a thin layer of permafrost. "Then we cleaned it off, and then we melted more of it. It took us a week to complete this task." But several juvenile examples have come to light that are more complete. Earlier this year, a very well preserved juvenile mammoth nicknamed Yuka was unveiled by scientists. Found in the Yakutia region of Russia, it preserves much of its soft tissue and strawberry-blonde coat of hair. There were also signs from its remains that humans may have stolen the carcass from lions and perhaps even stashed it for eating at a later date. Related Stories In this ode to cheeseburgers there are a few different foods mentioned. Analyze all of these for energy content, describe the nutrients found in these foods- explain what would be the health consequences for long term consumption of these foods. State the macromolecules and explain how these macromolecules are formed (ie,relevant bonding, etc.). List features of these macromolecules that are specific to them. For full points, answers need to be detailed, command terms need to be listed and annotated. For any credit, this needs to be turned in by this Friday 3:30 and in your own handwriting.
FOLD IT
Gamers Unlock Protein Mystery That Baffled AIDS Researchers For Years
In just three weeks, gamers deciphered the structure of a key protein in the development of AIDS that has stumped scientists for years. According to a study published Sunday in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the findings could present a significant breakthrough for AIDS and HIV research. Using an online game called Foldit, players were able to predict the structure of a protein called retroviral protease, an enzyme that plays a critical role in the way HIV multiplies. Unlocking the build of the protein could theoretically aid scientists in developing drugs that would stop protease from spreading. “Following the failure of a wide range of attempts to solve the crystal structure of M-PMV retroviral protease by molecular replacement, we challenged players of the protein folding game Foldit to produce accurate models of the protein,” the study reads. “Remarkably, Foldit players were able to generate models of sufficient quality for successful molecular replacement and subsequent structure determination. The refined structure provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs.” Developed by researchers at the University of Washington, Foldit turns scientific problems into competitive games. Players were charged with using spatial and critical thinking skills to build 3D models of protease. Few of these players had any kind of background in biochemistry. According to Fox, it took players a matter of days to come up with models that were solid enough for researchers to translate into scientific rendering of the protein. “People have spatial reasoning skills, something computers are not yet good at,” Foldit’s lead designer Seth Cooper said in a statement. “Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans.” Foldit has not only made this breakthrough with AIDS research, but it has also aided in Cancer and Alzheimer’s research. For more, read the study in its entirety here. |
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