Credit: iStock APS member Anna Pearson, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), studies red blood cells in dolphins. She presented her work last month at Experimental Biology. Dr. Dolittle, the American Physiological Society’s comparative physiology blogger, chatted with Pearson and her mentor, Michael Tift, PhD, an assistant professor at UNCW. … Continue reading Experimental Biology 2021: Q&A with Dr. Michael Tift and Anna Pearson
Comparative Physiology
New Science on Deep Heat Creams, Herbicides and Daytime Sleepiness Presented at Experimental Biology 2021
Credit: iStock Scientists who study physiology and other biomedical research fields—including anatomy, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology—network, collaborate and communicate about the latest research at the APS annual meeting at Experimental Biology (EB). This year’s virtual EB featured studies ranging from mitochondrial function and tissue repair to the effects of capsaicin on exercise performance. Read on to learn more … Continue reading New Science on Deep Heat Creams, Herbicides and Daytime Sleepiness Presented at Experimental Biology 2021
Experimental Biology 2021: Q&A with Dr. Christian Damsgaard
Credit: iStock Experimental Biology (EB) is an annual flurry of science, collaboration and connection, and this year's virtual meeting is no exception. Dr. Dolittle, the American Physiological Society's comparative physiology blogger, caught up with Christian Damsgaard, PhD, of Aarhus University in Denmark, at EB to chat about his work with teleosts, a type of ray-finned … Continue reading Experimental Biology 2021: Q&A with Dr. Christian Damsgaard
And Down the Stretch They Come: A Look at How Horses Power Themselves
In May, only one word is on the minds of people from Kentucky—Derby! Always held on the first Saturday in May, this year was the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race. This year’s outcome was a shocker: For the first time in race history, the horse that crossed the finish line first was … Continue reading And Down the Stretch They Come: A Look at How Horses Power Themselves
23 and We? Mating for Life Could Be Genetic
Spending Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart might just take on a new meaning ... an evolutionary one. Even though we live in an era in which endless opportunities for a mate are just a swipe left or right, science suggests that maybe we all have that one special someone out there. Social monogamy is the … Continue reading 23 and We? Mating for Life Could Be Genetic
Why Groundhogs Really Hibernate (It’s Not Just to Predict Six More Weeks of Winter)
On February 2, the country’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, was once again pulled out of hibernation to ask whether we can expect six more weeks of winter. His verdict: an early spring, though according to some reports, his predictions are not very reliable. One thing that is for sure, however, is that winter is … Continue reading Why Groundhogs Really Hibernate (It’s Not Just to Predict Six More Weeks of Winter)
Running on Empty: No Oxygen Needed!
Take a deep breath in. Now breathe out. Each time we breathe, oxygen enters the bloodstream to keep our organs alive and working. When oxygen can’t get to our body’s tissues, they begin to fail. This is true of all organs, but most of all the brain. In conditions like stroke and cardiac arrest—when the … Continue reading Running on Empty: No Oxygen Needed!
Survival of the Fishes: Research in Comparative Physiology
Animals can be cute, cuddly, weird-looking and even scary. To a comparative physiologist—someone who studies the physiological function of different species—animals can also be the key to understanding human health. Animals can provide clues about the world’s larger ecological systems. This is becoming more and more important as climate change and pollution become two of … Continue reading Survival of the Fishes: Research in Comparative Physiology
How Do Frogs Survive the Cold? By Freezing
They aren’t moving. They’re not responding to touch or light. Their hearts aren’t beating. They’re no longer breathing. Their skin is ice-cold and hard to the touch. By that description, you probably don’t think I’m describing living things. However, there are some animals that survive like this because of a process called freeze tolerance. Unlike … Continue reading How Do Frogs Survive the Cold? By Freezing
Look to the Sky for Lessons in High Blood Sugar
So much of what we hear in health news today involves how what we eat or how much we move affects the way we live. For example, if we overeat sugar or unhealthy foods and don’t get enough exercise, we can find ourselves at increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These can affect our … Continue reading Look to the Sky for Lessons in High Blood Sugar