Theca
In biology, a theca (pl.: thecae) is a sheath or a covering. Botany The typical anther is bilocular, i.e. it consists of two thecae. Each theca contains two microsporangia, also known as pollen sacs. The microsporangia produce the microspores, which for seed plants 
Freemartin
A freemartin or free-martin (sometimes martin heifer) is an infertile female cattle with masculinized behavior and non-functioning ovaries.[1] Phenotypically, the animal appears female, but various aspects of female reproductive develo
embryonic intrigue that’ll make your buccopharyngeal membrane quiver with excitement!
Picture, if you will, the humble beginnings of life, where a thin membrane known as the buccopharyngeal membrane (or oropharyngeal membrane for those who like their words extra fancy) plays the role of the ultimate gatekeeper between the primitive mouth and pharynx. It’s like nature’s ve
Rete pegs (aka rete processes or rete ridges or papillae) are epithelial extensions that project into the underlying connective tissue in both skin and mucous membranes.
In the epithelium of the mouth, the attached gingiva exhibit rete pegs, while the sulcular and junctional epithelia do not. Scar tissue lacks rete pegs and scars tend to shear off more easily than normal tissue as a result. Ira D. Papel (2011). Facial Plastic and
Thermolysin – The Tiny Terminator of Plasma Proteins!
Both thermolysin and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) share a similar mechanism of action, utilizing zinc ions to hydrolyze peptide bonds in proteins
Pituri, aka mingkulpa, is a mixture of leaves and wood ash traditionally chewed as a stimulant (or, after extended use, a depressant) by Aboriginal Australians widely across the continent.
Leaves are gathered from any of several species of native tobacco (Nicotiana) or from at least one distinct population of the species Duboisia hopwoodii. Various species of Acacia, Grevillea and Eucalyptus are burned to produce the ash. The term “pituri” may also refer to the plant
The term “hormesis” derives from Greek hĂłrmÄsis for “rapid motion, eagerness”, itself from ancient Greek hormĂĄein to excite. The same Greek root provides the word hormone.
Hormesis is a two-phased dose-response relationship to an environmental agent whereby low-dose amounts have a beneficial effect and high-dose amounts are either inhibitory to function or toxic. Within the hormetic zone, the biological response to low-dose amounts of some stressors is generall
Arsenic: The Element of Surprise (and Murder)
Let’s dive into the sordid history of arsenic, the “King of Poisons” and the “Poison of Kings.” Our story begins in ancient times, when alchemists were busy trying to turn lead into gold. Little did they know, they were playing with fire – or rather, arsenic. Thes
Daniel Carleton Gajdusek (1923 â 2008) was an American physician and medical researcher who was the co-recipient (with Baruch S. Blumberg) of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976 for work on the transmissibility of kuru, implying the existence of an infectious agent, which he named an ‘unconventional virus’.
His papers are held at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland and at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early life and education Gajdusek’s father, Karol Gajdusek, was a Slovak butcher from SmrdĂĄky, Kingdom of Hungary, now S
Adamalysin II, the protein world’s very own Eastern diamondback rattlesnake superstar
Adamalysin II, alias proteinase II, a 24 kDa zinc-endopeptidase isolated from the snake venom of the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus, is a prototype, of the proteolytic domain of snake venom metalloproteinases and of domains found in mammalian reproductive tract proteins.
Marx SO, Reiken S, Hisamatsu Y, Gaburjakova M, Gaburjakova J, Yang YM, Rosemblit N, Marks AR. Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of ryanodine receptors: a novel role for leucine/isoleucine zippers. J Cell Biol. 2001 May 14;153(4):699-708. doi: 10.1083/jcb.153.4.699. PMID: 11352932; PMCID: PMC2192391.
Abstract Ryanodine receptors (RyRs), intracellular calcium release channels required for cardiac and skeletal muscle contraction, are macromolecular complexes that include kinases and phosphatases. Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation plays a key role in regulating the function of many ion channels, in
Oxytocin: The Molecular Maestro of Love and Labor
Buckle up, hormone enthusiasts! We’re about to take a wild ride into the world of oxytocin, the “love hormone” that’s been playing Cupid in our bodies since the dawn of mammalian evolution. This tiny peptide packs a punch that would make even Hercules jealous! Picture this: a
Valine
Valine (symbol Val or V) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. It contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated âNH3+ form under biological conditions), an α-carboxylic acid group (which is in the deprotonated âCOOâ form under biological conditio
Insall R. Dispatch. Dictyostelium chemotaxis: fascism through the back door? Curr Biol. 2003 Apr 29;13(9):R353-4. doi: 10.1016/s0960-9822(03)00274-4. PMID: 12725750.
Abstract Aggregating Dictyostelium cells secrete cyclic AMP to attract their neighbours by chemotaxis. It has now been shown that adenylyl cyclase is enriched in the rear of cells, and this localisation is required for normal aggregation. Dictyostelium discoideum cells undergo a major lif
Eraso Y. Biotypology, endocrinology, and sterilization: the practice of eugenics in the treatment of Argentinian women during the 1930s. Bull Hist Med. 2007 Winter;81(4):793-822. doi: 10.1353/bhm.2007.0130. PMID: 18084107; PMCID: PMC2629848.
SUMMARYThis article looks at medical approaches to womenâs fertility in Argentina in the 1930s and explores the ways in which eugenics encouraged the reproduction of the fit and attempted to avoid the reproduction of the unfit. The analysis concentrates on three main aspects: biotypology (the scie