Credit: iStock “Barbie”—an empowering movie about feminism featuring a personified version of the iconic doll—ends with a line that is shocking, surprising and funny (spoiler alert!): “I’m here to see my gynecologist.” Earlier in the movie, viewers learned that Barbie does not have genitals, but by the end of the movie, she starts to embrace … Continue reading Spotlight On: Cervical Cancer
Reproductive Physiology
How Breastfeeding Shapes the Gut Microbiome
Credit: iStock Human milk is often called “liquid gold” for its incredible benefits for infants. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding from the first hour after birth until the baby is 6 months old, and continuing breastfeeding along with complementary foods for up to two years. However, worldwide, fewer than half of infants … Continue reading How Breastfeeding Shapes the Gut Microbiome
A Prune—or Six—a Day May Keep Inflammation Away
Credit: iStock Scientists who study physiology and in other biomedical research fields—including anatomy, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology—network, collaborate and communicate about the latest research at the American Physiological Society (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology (EB). This week’s post reveals how prunes may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis after menopause. Dried fruit is a staple in many pantries … Continue reading A Prune—or Six—a Day May Keep Inflammation Away
New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine Conference: Transgender Health, Addiction, Colon Cancer and More
Credit: iStock Scientists studying how sex and gender affect health and medical outcomes delve into topics—such as female reproductive risk factors, transgender health, and how biological sex affects COVID-19 outcomes, the microbiome and opioid addiction—that haven’t always been studied extensively or well understood. Researchers who specialize in these areas understand how much biological sex matters … Continue reading New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine Conference: Transgender Health, Addiction, Colon Cancer and More
Recapping the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin
Credit: iStock Dozens of leading endothelin (ET) researchers from around the world presented new findings at the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin (ET-17), hosted and organized by the American Physiological Society (APS). Their work highlighted practical uses of blocking the ET system and the use of ET as a biomarker for disease. Endothelins are amino … Continue reading Recapping the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin
Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science
Credit: iStock Whether your favorite sport is swimming, track and field, fencing, field hockey or another of the 33 sports with competitions in Tokyo this summer, watching elite athletes perform is often an awe-inspiring event. You may ask yourself “how do they do that?” as you watch the incredible feats. However, more and more scientists … Continue reading Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science
Why Biological Sex Matters in Research Studies
Credit: iStock “Boys are rotten, made out of cotton. Girls are handy, made out of candy.” While this silly elementary schoolyard rhyme is obviously not accurate, the underlying message is true: Males and females are physiologically different in some ways, particularly when it comes to sex organs and hormones. Until recently, however, the majority of … Continue reading Why Biological Sex Matters in Research Studies
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
Spotlight On: Menopause
Credit: iStock Menopause is a stage in a person’s life when their menstrual cycle stops. The average age in the U.S. is 52. During this time, the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone—hormones that regulate the reproductive cycle and support pregnancy—marking the end of reproductive function. After going without a period for 12 consecutive months, … Continue reading Spotlight On: Menopause
Spotlight On: The Reproductive System
Credit: iStock There are many organ systems within our body that ensure we stay alive. Arguably, however, one of the most important systems for guaranteeing our survival for generations is the reproductive system, as it allows us to produce children. To be able to have children, we first go through puberty—changes in the body that … Continue reading Spotlight On: The Reproductive System