Physiology News and Research

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Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of humans in good health, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed. The principal level of focus of physiology is at the level of organs and systems. Most aspects of human physiology are closely homologous to corresponding aspects of animal physiology, and animal experimentation has provided much of the foundation of physiological knowledge. Anatomy and physiology are closely related fields of study: anatomy, the study of form, and physiology, the study of function, are intrinsically tied and are studied in tandem as part of a medical curriculum.

Marine animals and ecosystems are negatively impacted by human-made noise

Rain falls lightly on the ocean's surface. Marine mammals chirp and squeal as they swim along. The pounding of surf along a distant shoreline heaves and thumps with metronomic regularity.

8 Feb 2021

Components of Neanderthals' gut microbiota are essential for human health

Neanderthals' gut microbiota already included some beneficial micro-organisms that are also found in our own intestine.

5 Feb 2021

Researchers study the formation of reinforced, patterned cell walls during proto-xylem development

Trees are by far the tallest organisms on Earth. Height growth is made possible by a specialized vascular system that conducts water from the roots to the leaves with high efficiency, while simultaneously providing stability.

3 Feb 2021

New computational method simplifies the analysis of gene-environmental interactions

Scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Ithaca campus at Cornell University have designed a novel computational technique for analyzing environmental and genetic interactions and how they affect disease risk.

28 Jan 2021

Study shows why obese mothers tend to have children susceptible to metabolic diseases

A Brazilian study published in the journal Molecular Human Reproduction helps understand why obese mothers tend to have children with a propensity to develop the metabolic disease during their lifetime, as suggested by previous research.

27 Jan 2021

New perspectives challenge diet-heart-hypothesis

In science, sometimes a new perspective can turn our interpretation of the data upside-down, and necessitate a paradigm shift.

25 Jan 2021

Cancer cells can exchange and recombine their genetic material, shows study

Evolution within groups of tumor cells follows the principles of natural selection, as evolution in pathogenic microbes.

22 Jan 2021

Study: Phase separated droplets have many important functions in cells

Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process by which cells capture and degrade their own dysfunctional or superfluous components for degradation and recycling.

22 Jan 2021

Common insecticides affect the amount of night's sleep in bumblebees and fruit flies

Just like us, many insects need a decent night's sleep to function properly, but this might not be possible if they have been exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides, the most common form of insecticide used worldwide, suggests research by academics at the University of Bristol.

21 Jan 2021

Food choice may accelerate aging and shorten lifespan of fruit flies

Having a choice of foods may accelerate aging and shorten the lifespan of fruit flies, according to a study published today in the open-access eLife journal.

20 Jan 2021

Fecal microbiome differs in healthy and food-allergic twins

A new study out of the University of Chicago and Stanford University on pairs of twins with and without food allergies has identified potential microbial players in this condition. The results were published on Jan. 19 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

20 Jan 2021

Study shows how nonmalignant cells adapt to harsh tumor microenvironment

Cells need energy to survive and thrive. Generally, if oxygen is available, cells will oxidize glucose to carbon dioxide, which is very efficient, much like burning gasoline in your car. However, even in the presence of adequate oxygen, many malignant cells choose instead to ferment glucose to lactic acid, which is a much less efficient process.

20 Jan 2021

New mathematical model captures forces involved in cell movement

Physicists have teamed up to find out the precise mechanisms that play a crucial role in cell motility.

19 Jan 2021

Gene therapy helps paralyzed mice to walk again

For the first time, scientists have successfully used gene therapy to make mice walk again after these animals suffered a complete cross-sectional injury.

18 Jan 2021

Study identifies gene networks that control sugar and organic acid metabolism during fruit development

The watermelon and melon cultivation project by researchers achieved a new advancement in controlling the metabolism of sugar in watermelon fruit.

15 Jan 2021

Study reveals richness of space-time gene expression dynamics of the liver

Nothing in biology is static. Biological processes fluctuate over time, and if we are to put together an accurate picture of cells, tissues, organs etc., we have to take into account their temporal patterns. In fact, this effort has given rise to an entire field of study known as "chronobiology".

12 Jan 2021