#55 Possible Future Evolution (English)

Possible Future Evolution

There are many possibilities with possible future human evolution. We will adapt very differently from what we are now. Firstly there will only be one ethnicity of humans. With more people having babies with someone of a different ethnicity their children will be mixed ethnicity, then they will have babies with people of different ethnics and so on until we will all be the same ethnicity. We will eventually lose our distinguishable features such as freckles and certain eye colours, and instead all have one skin colour, eye colour and hair colour.

We will all be taller! Human height has grown (excuse the pun) rapidly over about 150 years by 10 cm. It is believed that the more a child eats, the more energy they have to grow. Thus making the possibilities for how high we can grow, potentially endless!

With the improvement of modern medicine and our dependency on it, we will have a weaker immune system. We do not let our body fight of the illness. Instead we turn straight to modern medicine for a cure. This proving to be a weakness if we are relying on external aids to cure us internally. So our immune system will have no use if we are using medicine and will not work.

Another way we can adapt is by the loss of hair. It will mainly occur in women though. Having less hair on various parts of a woman is seen as attractive. Women will be the first to be hairless whereas there is less of a demand for smooth skinned men, so men may either not adapt or be the slower than women.

Lastly one last way we are adapting is by self-improvement. It will be no surprise that technology will literally be a part of us in the future. So if we do not like a certain part of us we can use technology to create a new part of us. Some couples are recently choosing their child’s traits even before they are born. This is known as gene selection, the babies are called designer babies. 

In conclusion with some parts of us we don’t need anymore and some things we will gain, future human evolution is possible and will of course happen over the course of thousands of years.

SSP

#54 Is yawning contagious? (English)

Is yawning contagious?

We have all yawned in our lifetime, maybe it was during a chemistry lesson or when you’re about to fall asleep. The Google definition of yawning is “A yawn is a reflex consisting of the simultaneous inhalation of air and the stretching of the eardrums, followed by an exhalation of breath” But when a person yawns another person tend to yawn straight after, why does that happen? Is yawning contagious? 

 

 

Cats, dogs, fish (and many more animals), also even babies in the womb all yawn. But what is yawning? Well nothing is for certain yet due to the lack of testing scientists have done, but some scientists believe that we yawn because our brains have a lack of oxygen. Although there are recent studies that have proved that yawning helps thermoregulation. (It helps us cool down our brains.)  

  

What makes our brains warmer? Our brains tend to get warmer when we are deprived from sleep and are exhausted, which would explain why we yawn when we are tired and about to go to sleep. Yawning cools down our blood through the nasal cavity when we inhale air, which then goes into the blood, then into our brain and cools our brain down. Scientists proved this theory by giving some testers warm packs (to put on their head) and others cold packs. The people with warm packs on their head yawned 41% whereas the cold pack people yawned only 9%. 

 

But what makes it contagious? It is apparently linked with empathy. There was a study done on autistic children and non-autistic children, they were shown a video of people yawning. The autistic children did not yawn as much as the other children. (Autistic children tend to lack social interaction skills and communication.) So when we yawn we are feeling empathetic towards the person who yawned and then we yawn. Therefore yarning can be contagious, but it depends on how much empathy you feel towards other humans.
 

SSP

#53 Processed Meats and Cancer (English)

Processed Meats and Cancer 

Processed meats cause cancer? 

According to a new study released by the World Health Organisation processed meats such as bacon, sausages and ham do cause bowel cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has now classified processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans" which also includes tobacco and formaldehyde. Scientists say that eating as little as 50g of processed meat a day can increase a person's risk of cancer by 18%. 

What is processed meat? 

Processed meat has to have been modified to extend shelf life or change taste by smoking, curing, adding salt or preservatives. The chemicals that are involved in the processing and high temperature cooking (such as cooking on a BBQ) are also thought to create carcinogenic chemicals. Meats to avoid include bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, ham, corned beef, canned meat products and meat based sauces.  

How can I apply this to my eating habits?

The good new is that in order to decrease the probability of cancer you don't have to cut out meat completely! Maintaining a healthy, well balanced diet is ideal and processed meats can be enjoyed once in a while in moderation. If you eat lots of these kinds of meats however, you might want to think about cutting down as the risk for cancer increases as the amount of meat consumed does.

SJS

#52 Celiac disease (English)

Celiac disease 

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people of all ages. This digestive disorder occurs in reaction to gluten, a protein that is found on wheat, rye and barley. The body’s immune system reacts to the gluten and causes damage to the small intestine, affecting the villi, the one in charge of promoting the absorption of nutrients. With the villi damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body. 

Symptoms

•     Digestive problems: abdominal bloating, pain, gas, diarrhea, plate stools

•        Skin rash

•        Anemia

•        Musculoskeletal problems

•        Growth problems (children)

•        Seizures

•        Tingling sensation in your legs

•        Sores in mouth

•        Missed menstrual periods

Organs affected 

The inflammation associated with celiac disease may lead to grater chance on developing certain gastrointestinal cancers, such like those in the small intestine or in the esophagus.  The inflammation and lack of nutrients can also lead to problems affecting many other organs and systems of the body.

How to prevent it

Celiac disease cannot be prevented. If you already have the disease, you can prevent symptoms by eating a gluten free diet.

Treatment

Currently the only treatment for this disease is to follow a strict gluten free diet. People living gluten free must void foods with wheat, rye and barely, such as bread and beer.

Similar to/ looks like

•        Colic

•        Crystic fibrosis

•        Crohn’s disease

•        Irritable bowel syndrome

•        Colitis

•        Osteoporosis

What happens a cellular level?

To understand the Celiac disease we have to start with Gluten, which can be found in rye, wheat and barley. Gluten can be divided in two components, gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin is the most toxic one because it is resistant to the membrane proteasis, so they remain there after gluten is digested. The whole problem begins at the top of the small intestine, in the epithelium. There the epithelial cells absorb gliadin and interleukin-15 is activated, signaling proteins for the immune system. They activate the intraepithelial lymphocytes, which can divide in three parts, the T- cells (induce the death of pathogens), the B- cells (release antibodies which neutralize foreign bodies) and natural killer cells. 

In the epithelium cells are being killed because B-cells are activating a protein. After the epithelial cells, gliadin is progresses into the Lamina Propria (layer under the epithelium) where an enzyme called transglutaminase increases gliadin’s capability to cause an immune response by deanimating it.  After this process the antigen presenting cell grab onto the gliadin using HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 receptors.  The gliadin is then presented to the gliadin-reactive T- cells through a T-cell receptor. The T-cell then trigger the release cytokines which besides being signaling proteins also destroy the cells in the villi and send out signal to continue the destruction. After the process, the T-cell and B-cells form memory cells to remember the gliadin. This cycle of destruction is repeated every time a celiac eats gluten. 

AAM

#51 Nervousness (English)

Nervousness

             Whether you are waiting for an exam, about to start an important presentation or at the start of a race, we've all experienced nervousness. But have you ever wondered why this happens? In this short article we will tell you why.

             In stressful situations, your brain sends a signal from the pituitary gland all the way to the kidneys where your adrenal gland resides; this is where adrenaline is released. You’ve felt it before, the rapid heart rate, dilating pupils and increased circulation in your muscles. It's all part of the "fight or flight" response which developed in our evolutionary history to help us survive. However this response isn't all or nothing, there are degrees reaction, according to the perceived threat or importance you attach to the outcome. So something like an interview, which presents a challenge, stimulates the same biological reaction that a threat to your life does, just to a smaller degree. 

             Have you ever felt those nervous butterflies in your stomach? This is because adrenaline helps redirect blood and energy to the most important parts of your body during stress, like the heart and muscles, and also away from your digestive system causing the blood vessels to close around your stomach, which leads to that tingling sensation.

             There are some effective tricks the athletes do in order to handle a huge stress they go through before competitions. The concept of 'mental imagery' is a widely used method in popular sport. With 'Cognitive Specific' imagery an athlete simply imagines themselves practicing a technique or skill before competing or training. While it may sound crazy, this actually stimulates the relevant neurons in the brain, and has been shown to enhance the specific skill. 'Motivational Specific' imagery on the other hand encourages athletes to recall the feeling of winning an event or beating a competitor as a motivational tool. This way by imagining yourself as focused, tough and having positive thoughts prior to competition, you can easily deal with stressful situations in your life.

KAA

#50 Blood circulation (English)

Blood circulation

             Have you ever been interested in why your heart actually beats? The process of heart beating is what actually keeps us alive, so it is quite useful and important to know about it.

             The heart is made up of four different blood-filled areas, and each of these areas is called a chamber. There are two chambers on each side of the heart: one is on the top and another is on the bottom. The two chambers on top are called the atria. The atria are the chambers that fill with the blood returning to the heart from the body and lungs.

             The two chambers on the bottom are called the ventricles. The heart has a left ventricle and a right ventricle. Their job is to squirt out the blood to the body and lungs. Running down the middle of the heart is a thick wall of muscle called the septum. The septum's job is to separate the left side and the right side of the heart.

             The atria and ventricles work as a team — the atria fill with blood, then dump it into the ventricles. The ventricles then squeeze, pumping blood out of the heart. While the ventricles are squeezing, the atria refill and get ready for the next contraction. So when the blood gets pumped, how does it know which way to go?

             Well, your blood relies on four special valves inside the heart. A valve lets something in and keeps it there by closing — think of walking through a door. The door shuts behind your blood and keeps it from going backward.

             Two of the heart valves are the mitral valve and the tricuspid valve; they let blood flow from the atria to the ventricles. The other two are called the aortic valve and pulmonary valve, and they're in charge of controlling the flow as the blood leaves the heart. These valves all work to keep the blood flowing forward. They open up to let the blood move ahead, then they close quickly to keep the blood from flowing backward.

KAA

#49 Wrinkly fingers underwater? (English)

Wrinkly fingers underwater?

             It's Friday night, you decide to have a nice long relaxing bath with lovely scented bubbles and soothing candles. Suddenly you realize that your toes and fingers have wrinkled up like prunes! Have you ever wondered why this happens? Well, now you're going to find out.

             Our toes and fingers contain oils that essentially make them waterproof - cool right? These oils help lubricate and protect our fingers and toes. This is why having a quick shower or washing your hands does not have any affect on them. However if they spend too long submerged underwater they will start going all wrinkly. What's happened is that the water has temporarily washed off this oily layer and has been absorbed by the outer layer of skin.

             The skin on our fingers and toes contain more dead cells than any other part of our body. As a result water is soaked up by these dead cells like a sponge. When you're fingers are wrinkly this means they are waterlogged, in other words they are completely saturated with water. The epidermis pulls on live skin layers beneath as it begins to swell. The deeper layers are firmly attached to fibers in your skin and therefore do not swell. This is what causes the appearance of wrinkles after you’ve spent some time in the bath.

             There is however another theory to explain why these wrinkles appear. According to scientists it is all a part of evolution. Puckered skin gives better grip which would have been useful to our ancestors when performing tasks such as foraging for food or being more sure-footed in the rain.

 

McA