Mitochondria Research Charles Darwin Spotlight | Learn Science at Scitable Like so many great scientists, Charles Darwin was first drawn to science as a young boy by his intense interest in the diverse animals and plants that filled his surroundings. Later, despite his father's urgings to pursue a career in medicine, young Darwin found himself drawn to careful, empirical observation of nature, particularly through his cherished hobby of collecting beetles. His empirical instincts were further developed at the University of Cambridge through deep study under contemporary naturalists, such as John Stevens Henslow, founder of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden (1831), and through reading progressive philosophers, such as William Paley, author of Natural Theology (1802). By the time he was serendipitously invited to accompany Captain Robert FitzRoy on a voyage of the HMS Beagle, Darwin had become an astute and insatiable scientist, primed for significant discoveries. Who could have imagined how significant his discoveries would be?
The Ductile Helix: "Jumping Genes" May Influence Brain Activity Mobile DNA molecules that jump from one location in the genome to another may contribute to neurological diseases and could have subtle influences on normal brain function and behavior, according to a study published October 30 in Nature. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.) Retrotransposons are mobile genetic elements that use a copy-and-paste mechanism to insert extra copies of themselves throughout the genome. Researchers from the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, have now comprehensively mapped retrotransposon insertion sites in the genomes of normal human brain cells for the first time. They used state-of-the-art DNA sequencing technology to screen for retrotransposons in tissue samples taken postmortem from three individuals who were healthy when alive and had no neurological disease or signs of abnormality in their brain tissue. "Each sample had its own set of unique retrotransposition events," senior author Geoffrey Faulkner says.
Life Life is a characteristic distinguishing objects having signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not,[1][2] either because such functions have ceased (death), or because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate.[3][4] Biology is science concerned with the study of life. Though life is confirmed only on the Earth, many think that extraterrestrial life is not only plausible, but probable or inevitable.[15][16] Other planets and moons in the Solar System have been examined for evidence of having once supported simple life, and projects such as SETI have attempted to detect radio transmissions from possible alien civilizations. According to the panspermia hypothesis, microscopic life exists throughout the Universe, and is distributed by meteoroids, asteroids and planetoids.[17] Early theories Materialism Herds of zebra and impala gathering on the Maasai Mara plain Democritus (460 BC) thought that the essential characteristic of life is having a soul (psyche).
International Darwin Day Foundation The PCR Method - a DNA Copying Machine Lists of Nobel Prizes and Laureates The PCR Method - a DNA Copying Machine Play the Eye of the Donkey Game About the game PCR is a method by which a few fragments of DNA can be duplicated into millions in a couple of hours. The Nobel Prize The 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the invention of PCR, a method that made it possible to copy a large numbers of DNA fragments in only a few hours. Share this: Share on facebook Share on google_plusone_share Share on twitter More Sharing Services Share on email To cite this pageMLA style: "The PCR Method - a DNA Copying Machine". Recommended: The Legacy of Alfred Nobel On 27 November 1895 Alfred Nobel signed his last will in Paris. Play the Blood Typing Game Try to save some patients and learn about human blood types! Unlocking the Secrets of Our Cells Discover the 2012 awarded research on stem cells and cell signalling. Contact E-mail us Press Sitemap A-Z Index Frequently Asked Questions Terms Follow Contact | Press | Sitemap | FAQ | Terms Follow us:
People A people is a plurality of persons considered as a whole, as in an ethnic group or nation. Collectively, for example, Jews are known as "the Jewish people", European Gypsies comprise the bulk of "the Romani people", and Palestinian Arabs are called "the Palestinian people". In politics Various republics govern, or claim to govern, in the name of the people. A People's Republic is typically a Marxist or socialist one-party state that claims to govern on behalf of the people. Chapter One, Article One of the Charter of the United Nations states that peoples have the right to self-determination.[1] In law In criminal law, in certain jurisdictions, criminal prosecutions are brought in the name of the People. The Right to Bear Arms The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution has been interpreted differently over time, with the word 'people' playing an important role. See also
Biodiversity Heritage Library Current Book List General Index Search Charles Darwin's Library Charles Darwin’s Library is a digital edition and virtual reconstruction of the surviving books owned by Charles Darwin. This BHL special collection draws on original copies and surrogates from other libraries. It also provides full transcriptions of his annotations and marks. In this first release (2011) we provide 330 of the 1480 titles in his library, concentrating on the most heavily annotated books. more... How to use Charles Darwin's Library A Darwin’s Library transcription pane faces each page that Darwin marked or wrote notes on. Entries in the pane have line numbers, such as lines 5-7. In books scanned from Darwin’s personal copies you will see his writing. Click the banner to reach the Current Book List and the General Index. The pane uses a very few specialized terms and symbols: The transcription pane uses special characters to represent some elements of Darwin's annotations. Support United Kingdom United States
Epigenetics Epigenetics PBS air date: July 24, 2007 CHEERFUL NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Did you ever notice that if you get to know two identical twins, they might look alike, but they're always subtly different? CANTANKEROUS NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Yep, whatever. CHEERFUL NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: As they get older, those differences can get more pronounced. Two people start out the same but their appearance and their health can diverge. CANTANKEROUS NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: No. CHEERFUL NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Yeah. CANTANKEROUS NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: And don't our genes make us who we are? CHEERFUL NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Well they do, yes, but they're not the whole story. CANTANKEROUS NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Yeah, you're heavier, and I'm better looking. CHEERFUL NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Yeah, whatever. NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: Imagine coming into the world with a person so like yourself, that for a time you don't understand mirrors. CONCEPCIÓN: As a child, when I looked in the mirror I'd say, "That's my sister." RANDY JIRTLE: Sure.
Online Books : "Golden Guide Hallucinogenic Plants" - pg 51-60 - StumbleUpon Golden Guide: Hallucinogenic Plants pages 51 to 60 .Contents...1-10...11-20...21-30...31-40...41-50...51-60...61-70...71-80...81-9091-100...101-110...111-120...121-130...131-140...141-150...151-156...Index Mandrake, with the Propane alkaloids hyoscyamine, scopolamine, and others, was an active hallucinogenic ingredient of many of the witches' brews of Europe. In fact, it was undoubtedly one of the most potent ingredients in those complex preparations. Mandrake and five other species of Mandragora belong to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, and are native to the area between the Mediterranean and the Himalayas. DHATURA and DUTRA (Datura metel) are the common names in India for an important Old World species of Datura. IBOGA (Tabernanthe iboga), native to Gabon and the Congo, is the only member of the dogbane fancily, Apocynaceae, known to be used as an hallucinogen. The use of hallucinogenic mushrooms, which dates back several thousand years, centers in the mountains of southern Mexico.
Origins by Lucas Laursen Charles Darwin may have had his biggest impact on biology, but he began his scientific career as a geologist. So it’s appropriate that earlier this year, retired geologist John Ramsay, who had long studied the famed biologist’s life, accepted a commission to compose a Darwin-themed string quartet. Darwin “did some pretty fundamental geological mapping," says Ramsay, drawing a parallel to his own geological career, during which he has drawn maps of the Scottish Highlands, South Africa, and the Swiss Alps. At the beginning of the piece, a disorganized Earth takes shape, with the core, mantle, and crust emerging into distinct musical themes. Performed by the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Ramsay’s composition premiered in Cambridge, U.K., during the Darwin Festival (Ramsay pictured above and Quartet playing pictured below) on 7 July 2009. When his tour was over, Ramsay had to decide between pursuing music or geology. And what would Darwin have thought of the composition?