Keep those drugs out of the waterways

It is well known (especially thanks to the P2D2 program) that there are too many drugs in the nation's waterways. This article highlights the effects those drugs are having on fish.

Note, as you read this article that the research is based on drugs that have already passed through the systems of humans and entered the waterways through the sewage treatment systems. It's possible that might be the next step for the P2D2 program.

Anatomy and AP Bio students, look at this quote from the article and comment upon it.

To find out more, Rearick compared gene expression in estradiol-exposed and unexposed fish. He found a significant increase in the expression of genes for the neurotransmitter dopamine in estradiol-exposed fish, suggesting that something might be occurring in their developing brains.
Klaper took a similar approach in her investigation of fluoxetine effects in fathead minnows, finding a cascade of gene-expression changes in the male minnows' brains as the dose increased. "I'm in the process now of trying to figure out the [physiological] pathways these might be involved in," she said.

Biology students, read the article and comment upon the scientific method being used, the ecology being studied, and how the effect of drugs on fish affects humans

Giant Roman!

National Geographic recently published an article identifying that the bones of person with gigantism had been discovered. The person was between 198 and 204 cm tall. This would have put them more than 30 cm tall than the average Roman citizen.

"To find out if the skeleton had gigantism, the team examined the bones and found evidence of skull damage consistent with a pituitary tumor, which disrupts the pituitary gland, causing it to overproduce human growth hormone.
Other findings—such as disproportionately long limbs and evidence that the bones were still growing even in early adulthood—support the gigantism diagnosis, according to the study, published October 2 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism."

Using the bold print from the article copied above, identify what the scientists were looking for in the bones that they used as evidence for gigantism.

It isn't terribly strange to have a person that is 200 cm tall at this point in time? What changes have occurred that caused changes in height? 

Marijuana affects memory!

Any student that has ever been in a health class knows that marijuana affects memory. Scientists have determined that the memory loss has less to do with the affect of the THC on the neurons than it does on the neuroglia. Those 'helper' cells have THC receptors and they are certainly affected.

AP Biology and anatomy students, this article is especially pertinent to you as we covered both the receptor molecules and cell signalling in AP Biology and neuroglia was a topic covered in anatomy.

What causes a muscle cramp?

Football cramps are a mainstay of August and September football games. Their cause remains a mystery to scientists. There are plenty of hypothesis, and some new (circa 2002) ideas about their causes.

AP Biology and anatomy students, read through and identify the new ideas and how they fit in with the maintenance of homeostasis. All students can read through and propose ideas for studying these cramps. What conditions would be necessary? How valid would any study be? What could coaches do to avoid these cramps during the early season games.

Memories...

This article discusses how scientists are researching erasing memories by using drugs that affect the hippocampus in the brain.

What do you think of this research? How would you (personally) use the information? Is this something that schools could use? What are some negative effects that could come from this?

This article is from Wired magazine and it is a study about how the internet and search engines affect memory