Enlarge (credit: Lee et al.) Most muscles in our bodies only act in response to incoming nerve signals, which have to trigger each individual muscle cell to contract or relax. But heart muscle is different. The impulses that trigger contraction in heart muscle are passed from one muscle cell to its neighbors, leading to a […]
Enlarge / A whole three-banded panther worm from the muscle transgenic line, where the muscle cells are glowing green. (credit: Lorenzo Ricci) In 1961, Osamu Shimomura and Frank Johnson isolated a protein through jellyfish that glow green under UV light. Corals, too, can fluoresce in a wide range of hues, thanks to similar proteins. Now, scientists […]
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) In the US, September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This feature highlights why catching prostate cancer early can be critical, and what researchers are doing to improve the odds of controlling the disease once it’s found. Prostate cancer is a paradox. It has one of the highest […]
Enlarge / The difference between modern human (left) and Neanderthal skulls means there must be some differences in how their brains develop. (credit: Wikimedia Commons) What are the key differences between modern humans and our closest relatives, the Neanderthals and Denisovans? For the Neanderthals, there doesn’t look to be any sort of obvious difference. They […]
Expand / Two eyes along with their optic nerves, also found to a radial area scan. (charge: BSIP/Getty Pictures ) Our visual system is more complicated, using photoreceptors that select incoming lighting and at least three different kinds of neurons between the mind. When in the brain, visual input signal is translated by numerous dedicated […]