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MJ's Human Biology Blog details
Listing ID: 609
Title: MJ's Human Biology Blog
Description: Highlights recent items in the news or in scientific journal articles that cover new findings and hot topics in human biology.
Owner:
listed on: May 15, 2008 07:21:17 AM
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Recent Posts:
| Snus - Smokeless Tobacco Made Easy - Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:01:00 +0000 |
| Coming soon to a store near you; Snus (rhymes with loose), a smokeless tobacco product from Sweden that contains hefty doses of nicotine. What makes Snus so attractive, especially to young people? Aside from the fact that it comes in colorful tins and is packaged in small tea bag-like packets, the real advantage is that no spitting is necessary - the small amount of juice produced can just be swallowed. It’s likely to become popular among teens who want their tobacco use to go undetected, and among patrons of bars and restaurants where smoking is not permitted. Snus is banned in all European Union nations (except Sweden, where it was invented) because of concerns that it may be carcinogenic. U.S. health officials worry that Snus may lead to cancers of the mouth and throat, but so far there is not enough evidence to prove it. It’s worth remembering that there were no clear health risks associated with cigarettes, either, when they first became popular in the 1940s. The tobacco companies are looking to attract a whole new generation of tobacco users and to shore up profits in the face of declining cigarette sales. R.J. Reynolds will launch a nationwide marketing campaign for “Camel Snus” next year. As usual, the company denies that it will aim its marketing campaign toward underage users. Have your students tried Snus yet? |
| Re-creating Extinct Animals - Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:16:00 +0000 |
| According to arecent articlein the New York Times, advances in DNA sequencing and genetic engineering techniques are leading to cautious optimism among scientists that someday it may be possible to bring extinct animals back to life. But it will not be easy. DNA undergoes decay after death, falling apart into little pieces within about 60,000 years. Determining the correct sequence of an extinct species’ DNA requires special DNA sequencers that can analyze the tiny pieces and then calculate how they were aligned in the original intact molecule. The second step would be to actually reconstruct the deciphered DNA code back into intact DNA once again. One way would be to “reverse engineer” the DNA of a close living relative species until it is similar to the known sequence of the extinct species. So far this has not been possible because of the sheer numbers of base pairs (perhaps half a million) that would need to be modified. But researchers are hopeful that techniques will be available soon to modify up to 50,000 sites at a time. The extinct species’ DNA would then be inserted into an egg of the living relative and incubated in that relative until birth. How would your students react if it were to be announced one day that an extinct human such as a Neanderthal had been reverse engineered and then born to a modern human or a primate mother?! |
| Ginkgo Doesn't Prevent Dementia - Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:01:00 +0000 |
| According to a recent study in theJournal of the American Medical Association, daily doses of the popular herbal antioxidantGinkgo bilobado not prevent or delay the onset of dementia (cognitive impairment), of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type (JAMA300:2253-2262, Nov. 19, 2008). Herbal extracts of Ginkgo continue to be popular as a memory enhancer, even though previous scientific evidence showed that it just doesn’t work (JAMA288:835-840, 2002). This latest finding regarding dementia is unlikely to put much of a dent in Ginkgo’s annual sales of over $200 million. Good marketing apparently trumps good science. Ginkgo may still turn out to be of some benefit for other medical conditions, however. Preliminary experiments in mice have shown that Ginkgo may prevent damage from strokes (see this blog, October 13, 2008). More research is needed to tell for sure. But as a memory enhancer or for prevention of dementia – forget about it. If your students still persist in believing that Ginkgo works, show them the evidence. |