Credit: iStock This year marked the 10th anniversary of the I Spy Physiology blog! In a year of great challenge to science funding, talking about the value of science has never been more important, and our contributors understood the assignment. They’ve shared their stories about becoming a science advocate and transitioning from mentee to a … Continue reading The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2025
Genes
How Constipation May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
Credit: iStock Straining to use the bathroom, having a bowel movement less than three times a week, abdominal cramps. Most people know these symptoms as signs of constipation and have experienced it at one time or another. However, according to health care data in the U.K., only about 20% of people discuss constipation with their … Continue reading How Constipation May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
Spotlight On: Epigenetics
Credit: iStock/DariaRen For many years scientists tried to understand how a fertilized egg develops into a multicellular organism with specialized cells. Even though cells in our body share the same set of genes, some cells have “learned” how to perform special functions. Our muscle cells somehow fill themselves with muscle proteins called myosin and actin … Continue reading Spotlight On: Epigenetics
Can Gene Editing Help Make Seafood Safer for People with Allergies?
Credit: iStock Imagine enjoying a delicious plate of seafood, and suddenly, you break out in hives, have trouble breathing or have a severe allergic reaction. This frightening scenario is the reality for people with shellfish allergies. An allergen is a substance that, although harmless for most people, can trigger an exaggerated immune response in some … Continue reading Can Gene Editing Help Make Seafood Safer for People with Allergies?
Spotlight On: Cystic Fibrosis
Credit: iStock Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disease caused by mutations, or changes, in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Cystic fibrosis is most common in people of Northern European ancestry, but it occurs in people of all races and ethnicities. People who inherit a mutated CFTR gene from both of their … Continue reading Spotlight On: Cystic Fibrosis
Halloween, Physiology Style
Credit: iStock As soon as the calendar turns over to October (and sometimes even before!) retail and media outlets remind us Halloween is coming. Wherever we look, it seems to be costumes, candy and scary movies abound. But did you know that many of the things that come to mind when we think of Halloween … Continue reading Halloween, Physiology Style
Precision Medicine: When ‘One-pill-fits-all’ Doesn’t Fit
Credit: iStock Everybody is unique due to their genetics. Even identical twins do not have completely identical genetic information, as they start accumulating developmental mutations from early stages in the womb. Our uniqueness is the main reason medical professionals often cannot rely on the same medication when trying to treat different people with the same … Continue reading Precision Medicine: When ‘One-pill-fits-all’ Doesn’t Fit
Love, Physiology Style
Credit: iStock Love is described in many ways, both good and bad: “Love is blind” is first attributed to English author Geoffrey Chaucer. American author and activist Helen Keller said love is like a beautiful flower. According to the (perhaps jaded?) Greek philosopher Plato, love is a “grave mental disease.” Love is also physiology. Our … Continue reading Love, Physiology Style
Moms Who Exercise Have Healthier Kids
Credit: iStock When you exercise, your muscles get stronger, you may lose body fat, you can run farther and faster than before and your chance of getting type 2 diabetes and heart disease go way down. But have you thought about how your exercising can affect your kids’ health, too? At this year’s Experimental Biology … Continue reading Moms Who Exercise Have Healthier Kids
Just Be Yourself—and Maybe Somebody Else Too
Credit: iStock You may remember learning in biology class that the combination of genetic material from both of your parents is part of what makes you unique. The combination of DNA from your parents becomes your personal genetic code that you will pass on if you have children. But in some rare cases, a person … Continue reading Just Be Yourself—and Maybe Somebody Else Too