I am left wordless...
Showing posts with label bio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bio. Show all posts
Friday, August 27, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Human Body as an Ecosystem and advent of Green Medicine
This sounds fascinating concept; equally impressive to grasp!
In an article published in scientific american, Humans Carry More Bacterial Cells than Human Ones, scientists claim human body to contain more bacterial cell than the human cell itself. So if you have 100 trillion cells in your body, about the same number of bacteria are are paying you homage. Nice host. Moreover, it has also been reported that they have also contributed to human genes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project, http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml). Strangely, other species seem to have less connections with bacteria; or may be it is yet to be discovered.
By definition, Ecosystem is a functional unit consisting of living things in a given area, non-living chemical and physical factors of their environment, linked together through nutrient cycle and energy flow. Since they help to maintain various body processes, this makes human as a host and the body as an ecosystem.
We had already learnt that some bacteria were friendly and some were not. Identification of pathogenic bacteria and use of antibiotic treatment has been hailed as one of the great success in medical history. The side effects of antibiotics are not so unfamiliar and reasoned as killing off pathogenic as well as friendly bacteria. However, once we are able to understand the ecosystem of human body, curing "infectious" diseases should be just a treat load of another identified bacteria! Shall we call it Green Medicine?
In an article published in scientific american, Humans Carry More Bacterial Cells than Human Ones, scientists claim human body to contain more bacterial cell than the human cell itself. So if you have 100 trillion cells in your body, about the same number of bacteria are are paying you homage. Nice host. Moreover, it has also been reported that they have also contributed to human genes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project, http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml). Strangely, other species seem to have less connections with bacteria; or may be it is yet to be discovered.
By definition, Ecosystem is a functional unit consisting of living things in a given area, non-living chemical and physical factors of their environment, linked together through nutrient cycle and energy flow. Since they help to maintain various body processes, this makes human as a host and the body as an ecosystem.
We had already learnt that some bacteria were friendly and some were not. Identification of pathogenic bacteria and use of antibiotic treatment has been hailed as one of the great success in medical history. The side effects of antibiotics are not so unfamiliar and reasoned as killing off pathogenic as well as friendly bacteria. However, once we are able to understand the ecosystem of human body, curing "infectious" diseases should be just a treat load of another identified bacteria! Shall we call it Green Medicine?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Survival of the Fittest: Tricks allowed
Surviving in the wild is not easy, especially if you are born to survive in the wild. So, you come up with tricks to survive. You do whatever it takes to survive.
I found few videos, surprisingly awesome!
Cordyceps, a killer fungi, that invades the body of an insect to grow and diminish the insect population. This is one of the Fascinating animal and wildlife video from the BBC epic natural world masterpiece 'Planet Earth'. This video was brought to you by Sir David Attenborough and the Planet Earth team.
The next on is about the Zombie Snails. As written in its description:
... this parasite is called Leucochloridium paradoxum. There are many other "mind-controlling" parasites such as the Spinochordodes Tellinii which infect grasshoppers and forces them to drown themselves... (Where the worm reproduces). Oh and one of my favs is the Toxoplasma Gondii found in cats intestines. But I'll let yall look it up. Savor the knowledge my children.
Who is inside you?
JK!
I found few videos, surprisingly awesome!
Cordyceps, a killer fungi, that invades the body of an insect to grow and diminish the insect population. This is one of the Fascinating animal and wildlife video from the BBC epic natural world masterpiece 'Planet Earth'. This video was brought to you by Sir David Attenborough and the Planet Earth team.
The next on is about the Zombie Snails. As written in its description:
... this parasite is called Leucochloridium paradoxum. There are many other "mind-controlling" parasites such as the Spinochordodes Tellinii which infect grasshoppers and forces them to drown themselves... (Where the worm reproduces). Oh and one of my favs is the Toxoplasma Gondii found in cats intestines. But I'll let yall look it up. Savor the knowledge my children.
Who is inside you?
JK!