Vertebrates in Medical News

Evolution and epilepsy

... conserved in the potassium and sodium channels of vertebrates over 350 million years of evolution, from fish to ... sea urchins and primitive organisms related to vertebrates called lancelets, sea squirts, and lampreys. The ... for about 400 million years in all types of vertebrates underlines its importance, as does the fact that ...

Genome sequence of lancelet shows how genes quadrupled during vertebrate evolution

... a lancelet provides the best evidence yet that vertebrates evolved over the past 550 million years through a ... functions was important in the formation of vertebrates as we know them." "The most exciting thing ... lancelet; urochordates like the sea squirt; and vertebrates like us. Cephalocordates and urochordates are ...

Ancient fossils shed light on anatomical changes accompanying evolution of first land vertebrates

... of these extinct creatures for more than two decades, the earliest land vertebrates also known as tetrapods were more diverse than we could possibly ... inhabited a wide range of terrestrial environments. These early land vertebrates varied considerably in size and shape, said Clack. To understand the ...

Violent sex acts boost insect's immunity system

... The long-held idea that only vertebrates have sophisticated adaptive immune systems that can protect them for life ... subject of how and when adaptive immunity evolved from innate immunity in vertebrates (and possibly, as is now starting to be believed, analogues in insects as ...

New book summarizes current knowledge on the biology of the vertebrate skeleton

... HARBOR, N.Y. (May 5, 2009) The cells, tissues, and organs that compose the skeletal system provide a supportive yet flexible framework that allows vertebrates to withstand earth's gravity yet remain mobile. Current knowledge about the vertebrate skeleton, especially recent research on skeletal development ...

Big-hearted fish reveals genetics of cardiovascular condition

... Heart-of-glass (HEG)-CCM pathway. The HEG-CCM pathway "is essential to regulate endothelial cell-cell interaction, both during the time that vertebrates make the cardiovascular system and later in life," says Kahn. "Its loss later in life confers this previously unexplained disease, cerebral cavernous ...

Signaling between protein, growth factor is critical for coordinated cell migration

... from the zebrafish head to the tail tip, periodically depositing sensory organs. The lateral line sensory system helps zebrafish and other aquatic vertebrates sense water movement. Aman and Piotrowski discovered that both Wnt and Fgf pathway genes are activated. But for proper migration, a cellular ...

Dr. Mei receives 2008 Mathilde Solowey Lecture Award in Neurosciences

... where signals are passed from one to the other. His study published this month in Nature Neuroscience provides some of the first proof that in vertebrates such as man, retrograde communication from a target cell such as a muscle cell back to the neuron is critical to neuron health and development. His ...

Short RNA strand helps exposed skin cells protect body from bacteria, dehydration and even cancer

... type's outer layers. What's more, this expression pattern is identical to that found in humans, zebrafish, chickens and the like -- in other words, vertebrates that evolved more than 400 million years apart. "If it has been expressed in this very specific tissue for a long time and across several ...

2-way cell talk provides clues about neuromuscular disease

... fails to produce the protein beta-catenin, its neuron doesnt develop or function properly. Their finding provides some of the first proof that in vertebrates such as man, this retrograde communication from the target cell back to the neuron is essential, says Dr. Lin Mei, corresponding author on research ...

How red blood cells nuke their nuclei

... Unlike the rest of the cells in your body, your red blood cells lack nuclei. That quirk dates back to the time when mammals began to evolve. Other vertebrates such as fish, reptiles, and birds, have red cells that contain nuclei that are inactive. Losing the nucleus enables the red blood cell to contain ...

Evolution of human genome's 'guardian' gives people unique protections from DNA damage

... is thought to be evolutionarily conserved throughout the development of vertebrate species and was probably established after the divergence of vertebrates and non-vertebrates. DNA metabolism and repair capabilities controlled by p53 may have emerged more recently in evolutionary history to create ...

Aggression as rewarding as sex, food and drugs

... football. The research will be published online the week of Jan. 14 by the journal Psychopharmacology. Aggression occurs among virtually all vertebrates and is necessary to get and keep important resources such as mates, territory and food, Craig Kennedy, professor of special education and pediatrics, ...

Scientists Spot Eye Development 'Switch'

... eye development likely applies across a wide range of species, the researchers said. More information Here's more about eye development in vertebrates . -- Robert Preidt SOURCE: University of Warwick, news release, Oct. 24, 2007 ...

The Origin of the Brain Lies in a Worm

... a centralised nervous system resembling that of vertebrates today. Many animals have evolved complex ... can differ substantially between species. While vertebrates have a CNS in the shape of a spinal cord running ... Platynereis nerve cells with what is known about vertebrates revealed surprising similarities. "Our ...

Genes Associated With Limb Development is More Primitive Than Believed

... an elaborate fin skeletal pattern similar to that seen in more primitive vertebrates such as sharks and many fossil fish. The researchers studied the ... other words, the pattern of gene activity long thought to be unique to vertebrates with hands and feet is much more primitive, said Dr. Davis. ...

Fruit fly’s visual map based entirely on genetic inputs

... The visual maps in the brains of vertebrates and fruit fly denote what they see. Millions of neuron contacts comprise ... is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "The neurons in vertebrates are born and are genetically programmed to project into a certain brain ...

UF scientists Throw light on the origin of vertebrate skeleton

... involved in building cartilage in the lampreys, which is also found in all vertebrates with backbones and jaws, including humans. "It was thought collagen ... also use collagen to build their skeletons makes sense. Lampreys and jawed vertebrates inherited the same genetic program for skeletal development from our ...

Boffins Find Evidence for Novel Brain Cell Communication

... which cells normally communicate. Gap junctions are found in many parts of the body, such as the heart and have been most studied in older vertebrates (such as fish) and in invertebrates (such as leeches and crabs). The current study provides the first electron microscopic evidence ...

Electrical Activity Alters Language Used By Nerve Cells

... to the way we have discovered in the developing frog nervous system, it could provide a promising approach to treating these disorders.” In vertebrates including frogs and humans, nerves communicate with muscles by releasing a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Spitzer and Laura Borodinsky, who ...

Sea Urchin Genome Similar To Man And May Cure Diseases

... the great interest in sequencing the sea urchin genome is because it shares a common ancestor with humans. Sea urchins are closer to human and vertebrates from an evolutionary perspective than other more widely studied animal models, such as fruit fly or worms. The purple sea urchin, in fact, has 7,000 ...

NMNAT Protein Protects Against Nerve Cell Degeneration

... process if it is present at a high level," said Bellen. They also found that NMNAT alone and not the enzyme partner found in mice and other vertebrates were sufficient to protect the neurons. Bellen said more work needs to be done to identify the mechanisms at work in the neuronal protection and ...

Blame Myelin for Many Neuropsychiatric Disorders

... myelin). Myelin, argues Bartzokis, who directs the UCLA Memory Disorders and Alzheimer's Disease Clinic, is “a recent invention of evolution. vertebrates have it; invertebrates don't. And humans have more than any other species.” Bartzokis studied the reported effects of cholinergic treatments, ...

Limb Regeneration Exists Innately In All Vertebrates – Says Researc

... embryo – a species not known to be able to regrow limbs. The study suggests that the potential for such regeneration may also exists innately in all vertebrates including human beings. Chop off a salamander's leg and a brand new one will sprout in no time. But most animals have lost the ability to replace ...

Bacterial Protein Shows Promise in Treating Intestinal Parasites

... causing anemia and weight loss. The researchers said in their paper that because this naturally-produced protein is safe to humans and other vertebrates and can be produced inexpensively in large quantities, it has the potential to substantially improve this global health problem. “Our ability ...

A Human Brain Gene Could Hold Clues On The Evolution Of Brain Capacity

... assistant professor of statistics at UC Davis, performed an extensive computational analysis, comparing the genomes of humans, chimpanzees, and other vertebrates to identify elements of the human genome that have undergone accelerated evolutionary changes. This computer-intensive bio informatics approach ...

New Studies On Zebrafish Could Aid in Treating Birth Defects

... from Washington University in St. Louis. For many years, scientists have relied on the mouse and the frog Xenopus laevis as research models for vertebrates (animals with backbones), but zebrafish have an important advantage for studying early development: It is possible for researchers to watch the ...

Anthrax Kills 50 Cattle in Madhya Pradesh

... Sanctuary in Hoshangabad district in 2002 when it caused the death of several wild buffalo. "It occurs most commonly in wild and domestic lower vertebrates like cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores and can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals or tissue ...

'Expedition Everest' Finds New Species

... equivalent to the combined areas of the five largest U.S. states). Fully 50 percent of the Earth's vascular plants and 42 percent of terrestrial vertebrates exist only in these 34 hotspots. Hotspots face extreme threats and have already lost at least 70 percent of their original vegetation. "Being part of ...

Disney’s New Attraction Showcases the Discoveries of the Himalayas Expeditio

... equivalent to the combined areas of the five largest U.S. states). Fully 50 percent of the Earth's vascular plants and 42 percent of terrestrial vertebrates exist only in these 34 hotspots. Hotspots face extreme threats and have already lost at least 70 percent of their original vegetation. "Being ...

Hh Signaling May Play Role In Fat Formation

... cells which are meant for the bone. The mice that are genetically obese have lower levels of the Hh pathway. The role of the Hh signaling varies from vertebrates and invertebrates. The Hh proteins’ activity can be modulated by small molecules, according to the study, which gives rise to the possibility that ...

Kasturba Medical College Organizes 'CME- Orth 2005' From 4th To 6th November

... highlighting abnormalities found in patients. Cross-sectional specimens, radiographs, developmental anatomy models and skeletons of human and other vertebrates are also on display. The institute proposes to start a digital or virtual museum for which wok has already begun. ...