Subscribe To Dr. G
Posts
All Comments
Friday, December 31, 2010
Steam Cells Cure Blindness (Word count: 445)
What are Stem Cells:
Sources:
Stem Cells are basic cells found in all multi cellular organisms, like humans and plants. These cells are characterized with the ability to perform mitotic cell division(mitosis).There are two types of stem cells known that can be obtained from mammalian creatures, embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues. By far the most important property stem cells have, is their ability to be incorporated in any part of the body, they can be used in repairing the cornea, the heart, liver, etc.
 |
| Extracting Stem Cells |
Social Impact of Stem Cells:
On August 9, 2001, President George W. Bush announced his decision to allow Federal funding of research only on existing human embryonic stem cell lines created prior to his announcement. His concern was to not foster the continued destruction of living human embryos. In 2004, both houses of Congress have asked President George W. Bush to review his policy on embryonic stem cell research. President George W. Bush released a statement reiterating his moral qualms about creating human embryos to destroy them, and refused to reverse the federal policy banning government funding of embryonic stem cell research. In the November 2004 election, California had a Stem Cell Research Funding authorization initiative on the ballot that won by a 60% to 40% margin. It established the "California Institute for Regenerative Medicine" to regulate stem cell research and research facilities. It authorizes issuance of general obligation bonds to finance institute activities up to $3 billion dollars subject to an annual limit of $350 million.
Stem Cell Treatments:
The loss or degeneration of photoreceptors in the retina, the light sensing receptors in the eye, leads to blindness. This is the mechanism seen with age-related macular degeneration, a common age-related disease. Several approaches to replacing the photoreceptors have been attempted, but a recent study in the journal Cell Stem Cell indicates that embryonic stem cells may hold the key. In 2004, Klassen et al. looked at retinal progenitor cells isolated from day-old mice and found some improvement in light-mediated behavior of adults with retinal grafts, indicating that the neurons regenerated the retina to some extent. That same year, Coles et al. looked at retinal stem cells and found that they could differentiate into retinal cells. Two years later, MacLaren et al. showed that these stem cell-derived cells could be transplanted and populate a damaged eye. Also in 2006, Lamba et al. showed that embryonic stem cells could be directed to become retinal cells, including photoreceptors expressing specific markers, something the other cell types had not achieved.
Sources:
Comments:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Rehabilitation, and Presentation of the Galapagose Island
The Galapagos Islands are a collection of active volcanoes, just 600 km off the coast of Ecuador. The islands were discovered on accident in 1535 by Father Tomas Berlange. Post its discovery; theIslands have been used by Spanish pirates as hideaways. The islands stunning wildlife attracted many hunters and poachers, causing many species like the fur seal, and giant tortoise to be nearly wiped out.
| ||
In_1835,Charles Darwin, the man who had revolutionise biodiversity itself, had also been quoted, on crediting most of his scientific discoveries to the time he spent on the island. Now the Charles Darwin Foundation has devoted it passion to repopulating the island with its once abundant indigenous species. Breeding and rearing endangered species in captivity has been an important tool in conservation for many years.
 |
| Charles Darwin |
The Giant Tortoise Program, begun in 1965, is one of the longest running programs of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park
| ||
The Iguana Program, was initiated in 1976 following the near complete destruction of two iguana populations by feral dog packs. The program was later expanded to include the land iguana population of Baltra. In 2008, the program was shut down, a result of the re-establishment of healthy populations at the three sites. During the program, more than 1,000 young iguanas were returned to the wild. The three populations will continue to be monitored to ensure their future safety.
 |
| Land Iguana |
Many scientists consider humans as the most invasive species, as humans can greatly change an environment and impact living things that reside in it, but some scientists like the people at the Charles Darwin Foundation, are trying to reverse the damage that there fellow men have caused.
Sources:
"Fur seals",A south african fur seal on the beach at Cape Cross in Namibia, Africa.
Copyright © 2000 - 2010 Rolf Hicker, Sept 29, /10 http://www.hickerphoto.com/african-fur-seal-191-pictures.htm
"The Galapagos Islands" Sep 29 /10 http://people.rit.edu/rhrsbi/GalapagosPages/AboutGalapagos.html
"Saving Endangered Species: Captive Breeding, Rearing, and Repatriation"
©2008 Galapagos Conservancy
http://www.galapagos.org/2008/index.php?id=108
Coments:
http://debsbioblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/interwebs-of-biodiversity.html?showComment=1285858563213_AIe9_BGPs0jO2ojx1zA5nega8QIjluvg4QFMDA6QIFhTGzM41NmJIXVnZdj8fFyY-WrCSscv-KO7CGS4uaOv2uZHfkJio5ba95ZfS1r9kaxq5TRQph_6GQHTX9hr5p_ZSZiF-wuHNYdedcz80R4GtBkXjDtret0_OoB4R0WNKgCwNdL9MfS3n5TkVjAjXkJFuh7aoxHXU8Fti0lm1xhRvFM6o1UykXDivS2hX_eDBemVibZJ_3l7wT_w4_Je37C8d-ajBvJl9G1fV3pxxUIRnn78XcWiScBzjoOif16EKjYhegjcRLP8EnQ_9mKqS47DDuspGoNUPoAQej4MKiKNOKq3HWe4rNen5rwt9nEeibgXiKKIaNmz6VqxgNWMitQhVYKN_NK0cGvgBD225deh_34-8FNZgn36-5ZvXGJkBpf7pzuYdtMgZxmF0LSDsF4I6RDobIUJqnUWfS_nVvmZyX9Mtc6TQp3rBO1MH6MkfKfkcijEFoLqYPmQHnYNZFG5A_uIwUzxy7ZCSowtiz4HqJvKpi4wHF0QSeCvJ6GG7gPkiIvbmC-xS9FlnAnAzxwiQ_8e2qX9cpDmC3RJpYigJEuw_r9-QKjHY-4T9iid-jHlxkWjRMfu6cFl9_KK7rLzL-qQ56EG9gtGcLEawTe9jGr01HI4xJkiwREj2MPhmR5h8hvnTPO-God6WHHEiPjwV0s5hh9mSN6gxrtvDcEicp7VOwfsX5IDScElMhi2J5bpyJudqVqidNq7HUVaYEaWn0VJNKtyKYd1LL7dP01fpadmmvEdytofJAcohcE_0a-hshlq8Ev5LPKXjNqQO3lYJ2xgc4C0DINtxCYqSaiL4TR1oWhsxAx66eryb-Se2xTbv1kv08Y2soalP8EKeqLC9dMvrJbNQ5_u#c8613851167726322238
Sept 29/ 10
Coments:
http://debsbioblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/interwebs-of-biodiversity.html?showComment=1285858563213_AIe9_BGPs0jO2ojx1zA5nega8QIjluvg4QFMDA6QIFhTGzM41NmJIXVnZdj8fFyY-WrCSscv-KO7CGS4uaOv2uZHfkJio5ba95ZfS1r9kaxq5TRQph_6GQHTX9hr5p_ZSZiF-wuHNYdedcz80R4GtBkXjDtret0_OoB4R0WNKgCwNdL9MfS3n5TkVjAjXkJFuh7aoxHXU8Fti0lm1xhRvFM6o1UykXDivS2hX_eDBemVibZJ_3l7wT_w4_Je37C8d-ajBvJl9G1fV3pxxUIRnn78XcWiScBzjoOif16EKjYhegjcRLP8EnQ_9mKqS47DDuspGoNUPoAQej4MKiKNOKq3HWe4rNen5rwt9nEeibgXiKKIaNmz6VqxgNWMitQhVYKN_NK0cGvgBD225deh_34-8FNZgn36-5ZvXGJkBpf7pzuYdtMgZxmF0LSDsF4I6RDobIUJqnUWfS_nVvmZyX9Mtc6TQp3rBO1MH6MkfKfkcijEFoLqYPmQHnYNZFG5A_uIwUzxy7ZCSowtiz4HqJvKpi4wHF0QSeCvJ6GG7gPkiIvbmC-xS9FlnAnAzxwiQ_8e2qX9cpDmC3RJpYigJEuw_r9-QKjHY-4T9iid-jHlxkWjRMfu6cFl9_KK7rLzL-qQ56EG9gtGcLEawTe9jGr01HI4xJkiwREj2MPhmR5h8hvnTPO-God6WHHEiPjwV0s5hh9mSN6gxrtvDcEicp7VOwfsX5IDScElMhi2J5bpyJudqVqidNq7HUVaYEaWn0VJNKtyKYd1LL7dP01fpadmmvEdytofJAcohcE_0a-hshlq8Ev5LPKXjNqQO3lYJ2xgc4C0DINtxCYqSaiL4TR1oWhsxAx66eryb-Se2xTbv1kv08Y2soalP8EKeqLC9dMvrJbNQ5_u#c8613851167726322238
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)