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Tag: "breath" at biology news

Why do insects stop 'breathing'? To avoid damage from too much oxygen, say researchers

A new study investigating the respiratory system of insects may have solved a mystery that has intrigued physiologists for decades: why insects routinely stop breathing for minutes at a time. .. .. Timothy Bradley, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCI, and Stefan Hetz,...

How exactly does the brain control breathing?

An understanding of exactly how the brain controls breathing is fundamental to the treatment of respiratory disorders. We know that breathing is an automatic rhythmic process that persists without conscious effort whether we are awake or asleep, but the question that has intrigued many scientists for well over 100 years is what maintains this almost fail safe vital rhythm throughout life? . Exper...

Amazon source of 5-year-old river breath

The rivers of South America's Amazon basin are "breathing" far harder ?cycling the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide more quickly ?than anyone realized. .. . It had been hoped that regions such as the nearly 2.4 million-square-mile Amazon River basin ?where tropical forests rapidly gulp carbon dioxide during photosyn...

Bacteria feed on smelly breath (and feet)

Researchers have isolated bacteria which can grow on and 'mop up' smelly compounds in the mouth that are linked to bad breath. These smelly, highly reactive 'one-carbon' compounds are naturally produced from the breakdown of sulphur-containing amino acids in the mouth. . Dr Ann Wood and her colleagues at Kings College, London, reported these findings in the August issue of Environmental Microbiol...

Breath of the dragon: ERS-2 and Envisat reveal impact of economic growth on China's air quality

China's spectacular economic growth during the last decade has brought many benefits - and some challenges. Global atmospheric mapping of nitrogen dioxide pollution performed by ERS-2's GOME and Envisat's SCIAMACHY reveals the world's largest amount of NO2 hanging above Beijing and northeast China, as reported in Nature this week. . As part of ESA's Dragon Programme, European and Chinese research...

Don't hold your breath: Carp can manage without oxygen for months

How long can you hold your breath? Scientists at the University of Oslo have recently discovered how the Crucian Carp, a close relative of the goldfish, is able to live for months without oxygen. The researchers hope that understanding how some animals cope with a lack of oxygen might give clues as to how to solve this problem in humans. . "Anoxia related diseases are the major causes of death in...

Prenatal nicotine exposure reduces breathing response of newborns...

A 37-year-old-mother, who gave birth to a low-weight preemie at 24 weeks, exhibited the first-found link in a human between bacteria found in the mouth and the amniotic fluid of a woman in preterm labor. . .. They report their finding in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology online article, "Tran...

Researchers win money to develop breath test to detect breast cancer

One of the biggest problems in fighting breast cancer is the lack of inexpensive, early detection diagnostic tools. . .. "We are very excited about getting this grant without having had too much real exposure to breast cancer rese...

Vampire bats recognise their prey's breathing

Vampire bats, the only mammals to feed exclusively on blood, including human blood, recognize their prey by the sound of its breathing. In a study published today in the open access journal BMC Biology, vampire bats of the species Desmodus rotondus could recognise recorded human breathing sounds much better than human participants could. Vampire bats feed on the same prey over several nights and...

Breathing easy: When it comes to oxygen, a bug's life is full of it

Because of new imaging technology, researchers are getting a better understanding of a physiological paradox: how insects, which have a respiratory system built to provide quick access to a lot of oxygen, can survive for days without it. . The insect respiratory system is so efficient that resting insects stop taking in air as they release carbon dioxide, according to research by Stefan K. Hetz o...

Colour sensor breath test can detect lung cancer

A breath test can successfully pick up lung cancer with "moderate accuracy" even in the early stages, reveals research published ahead of print in Thorax. . .. .. .. The researchers used...

Helium helps patients breathe easier

It makes for bobbing balloons and squeaky voices, but now helium is also helping people with severe respiratory problems breathe easier. . .. This was the first study to demonstrate that helium-hyperoxia (40 per...

Spreading viruses as we breathe

Keeping at arm's length won't protect you from catching an infectious disease, according to new research by Queensland University of Technology which reveals airborne viruses can spread far and wide. . .. .. "The...