Credit: iStock Zebrafish (scientific name Danio rerio) are freshwater fish native to South Asia that can be a little over half an inch to two inches long. About 70% of their genes share a common ancestor with our genes—even more if you look specifically at disease-causing genes. Like us, they have a spinal cord, eyes, … Continue reading Zebrafish Help Advance Physiology
Brain Physiology
The Cerebral Christmas Lights: Your Glowing Brain
Credit: iStock Did you know our brains glow? Well, not glow exactly—technically it’s called fluorescence—but this phenomenon ends up making the brain look kind of like red and green Christmas lights under a microscope. If you want to impress your family and friends at the holiday dinner table this season, read on to learn more … Continue reading The Cerebral Christmas Lights: Your Glowing Brain
Watching Scary Movies Can Help Reduce Your Stress (Really!)
Credit: iStock If you’re a fan of scary movies, you might notice that intense scenes may make you a little fidgety. As a scare pops up suddenly, you may unconsciously clench your fists or grip the arms of the couch, your heart rate quickens, goosebumps start to prickle your skin and sweat beads out of … Continue reading Watching Scary Movies Can Help Reduce Your Stress (Really!)
Can a New Football Helmet Curb Concussion?
Credit: iStock Football and fall go hand in hand for many people. Whether they are going to the games, watching on TV or running their own fantasy teams, football fans dread seeing their favorite player on the weekly injury report. Just as football and fall go together, unfortunately, so do football and traumatic brain injury … Continue reading Can a New Football Helmet Curb Concussion?
The Physiology of Teaching and Learning
Credit: iStock Though the temperatures are still soaring in many areas of the country, you might be seeing the signs of school starting around you. School buses are on the streets, fresh notebooks and packs of pens are being placed front and center in stores. As you head into another year of teaching and learning, … Continue reading The Physiology of Teaching and Learning
Listening to Your Heart AND Your Head: Is There a Connection between Heart Health and Alzheimer’s Disease?
Credit: iStock The adage “should you listen to your heart or to your head?” describes making decisions based on emotions (heart) versus logic (head). While the saying signifies two different sides to a decision-making process, the link between the heart and head may be more connected than you think when it comes to disease. Heart … Continue reading Listening to Your Heart AND Your Head: Is There a Connection between Heart Health and Alzheimer’s Disease?
Spotlight On: Stroke
Credit: iStock Every year about 800,00 people living in the U.S. have a stroke. Stroke is a public health concern that costs the U.S. billions of dollars and remains one of the leading causes of death. A stroke is sometimes called a “brain attack” because it interferes with oxygen and glucose (sugar) delivery to the … Continue reading Spotlight On: Stroke
Keep the Rhythm Steady: Changes to Your Body’s Rhythms Could Increase Your Risk of Neurodegenerative Disease
Credit: iStock Circadian rhythms are the natural internal processes that regulate our sleep-wake cycle and other physiological functions such as hormone secretion and metabolism. Maintaining healthy circadian rhythms is essential for our overall health and well-being, but modern lifestyles can make this challenging. Exposure to artificial light, shift work and irregular sleep schedules can all … Continue reading Keep the Rhythm Steady: Changes to Your Body’s Rhythms Could Increase Your Risk of Neurodegenerative Disease
Physical Inactivity: We Got To Move It, Move It
Credit: iStock Did you know that some data suggest physical inactivity increases your risk of dying from any cause more than smoking? Although this argument is still debated, in theory, you could go for a run and have a cigarette and be less likely to die than someone who does neither (you still shouldn’t smoke). … Continue reading Physical Inactivity: We Got To Move It, Move It
Spotlight On: The Brain
Credit: iStock Our understanding of the human brain has come a long way since scientists first started studying this intricate organ. Throughout history, the brain has been thought to have different purposes and varying levels of importance, with some thinking that it was not really important at all. But steadily, researchers grew to understand more … Continue reading Spotlight On: The Brain