The kidneys are remarkable organs responsible for filtering blood and creating urine. To learn more about how they do this, check out this YouTube video: The evolution of glomerular filtration is what allows animals to regulate the disposal of ions such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and sulfate. Some solutes are reabsorbed from the urine and returned to the body with the help of sodium ions, whereas other solutes are […]
The Arizona Physiological Society held their 16th annual meeting this past weekend at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. The Arizona Established Scientist Keynote Speaker was Dr. Christopher Glembotski, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Translational Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Arizona, Phoenix campus. Ischemic diseases, such as strokes and heart attacks, disrupt the normal functioning of the endoplasmic reticulum, which alters protein production and folding. His […]
The Ohio Physiological Society met October 6-7th at The University of Toledo located in Toledo, OH. True to the name of this year’s conference, the Keynote address was given by Dr. Joseph Wu, Director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and current president of the American Heart Association. His research focuses on congenital heart disease in adults as well as cardiovascular imaging. His most recent clinical trials involve testing bone-derived stem […]
Meet the honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus). These animals are small and rather unusual marsupials with few teeth and a specially adapted tongue to aid in the consumption of a diet consisting of only nectar and pollen. Because they feed primarily at night, rely on fresh flowers, and tend to stress easily, they are difficult to study. In fact, their adrenal gland, which produces the stress hormone cortisol, weighs about 1,600 […]
While studies have shown that Tibetans protect their tissues from damage caused by low oxygen levels at high altitude, other studies have shown that people adapted to life in the Andes mountains have genetic variations that protect their hearts. In a recent study presented at the 2023 American Physiology Summit, scientists discovered that 68% of Andean highlanders carry a single nucleotide variation in the gene responsible for encoding the protein […]
Although carbon monoxide inhalation is dangerous because it can cause blood poisoning, research suggests that production of carbon monoxide in the body may actually protect cells during exposure to hypoxic environments as well as during ischemic-reperfusion injuries. Carbon monoxide is produced in the body by the enzyme heme oxygenase. This enzyme is responsible for converting heme into biliverdin and generates carbon monoxide in the process. Interestingly, carbon monoxide levels are […]
During this year’s Shark Week, I came across an article published in Endangered Species Research that reported on warm-blooded basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus). While the majority of fish and sharks are cold-blooded, researchers found that the core body temperature of these endangered basking sharks is 1-1.5 degrees celsius warmer than the water in which they swim. Because not all tissues are warm, they are ‘regionally endothermic’. While it makes sense […]
“Dog Aging Project” was founded by aging researchers Drs. Matt Kaeberlein and Daniel Promislow (University of Washington) along with Kate Creevy who is currently the Chief Veterinary Officer. The goal of the project is to examine how the environment affects healthy aging and longevity in dogs and to test anti-aging treatments. This research has the potential to also impact how we understand environmental risk factors for aging in humans as […]
Ever wonder how fireflies light up the night? This Youtube video explains the physiology and biochemistry of firefly bioluminescence: Optogenetics Optogenetics is a field of science aimed at using light to activate, or inactivate, neurons and other cells. In exciting new research, scientists at Central Michigan University and Brown University are advancing the field of optogenetics by understanding the physiology of fireflies and other bioluminescent organisms. With this new research, […]
Hypoxia associated with ischemic stroke, heart attacks, and solid tumors causes significant pathologies in humans. However, some populations of humans that have lived at high altitudes for generations have adaptations that provide some measures of hypoxia tolerance that may lend insight into treatments for pathological hypoxia in disease states. Researchers seeking to understand hypoxia tolerance compared the genome of Andean and Ethiopian highlander populations with the genome of Drosophila […]
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 