We enter life through an evolving doorI was perusing some old magazines the other day when I came across an article by a molecular biologist named Mitch Sogin who using DNA sequencing discovered that we, mankind, are all descendants of…
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The fun thing about ionic bonds is that they really aren’t anything like covalent bonds. There is no sharing of electrons, and there is no pairing up of atoms. There isn’t even a single ionic bond that you can point…
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Introduction: RNA interference, also known as RNA mediated interference or in short RNAi, is a mechanism of regulation of gene expression by certain RNA molecules such as miRNAs (micro RNAs), siRNAs (short interfering RNA/silencing RNA) etc. MicroRNAs are small single…
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Solid, liquid and gas are called Phase, and they characterize an arrangement of atoms/molecules. Besides arrangement, all phases of a substance are made of the exact same atoms/molecules. Phase and their change depends on the weak attractive force between atoms/molecules and the…
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The RNA world hypothesis is a theory that proposes the existence of a RNA cell (ribocyte) before the modern cells were evolved. The properties of the RNA to act as a genetic information storage molecule and as a catalyst, like…
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What are fatty acids? Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are fats that the body cannot produce. They´re important nutrients necessary for health; and are present in every healthy cell in the human body. They´re responsible for normal function and growth of…
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The calendar on the wall currently says February, but already, thoughts are fast forwarding a few months ahead. Minds are fixated on sand and surf, which means that many folks are getting in early reservations to their favorite beaches around…
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Put simply, pheromones are chemical messages between individuals of a species. They developed early in the history of life and are used by all sorts of animals, but they are particularly important to insects. With a few exceptions, pheromones are…
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What are amino acids? Amino acids are nitrogen containing organic molecules that can join together in chains called (poly-peptides) and form complex proteins. There are 20 basic amino acids of which 8 are essential (they must be obtained from food),…
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Snakes are a successful group of reptiles with over 3000 species found world-wide and on every continent but Antarctica. Only about 300 of these snakes are poisonous to humans. Even in Australia, one is much more likely to die in…
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