The Evil Monkey has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from a southeastern U.S. university. After a postdoctoral nightmare of Inquisitorial proportions, he is currently working in a laboratory and an adjunct assistant professor at a nearby state university.
Scicurious is a graduate student wrestling with a PhD in Physiology at a southern institution. She is a nerd, a geek, and also a dork. And yes, that really is her brain.
NotoriousLTP is an MD-PhD student in New York City. After finishing (hopefully soon) his PhD in behavioral neuroscience, he will re-enter the fun vortex that is medical education.
Disclaimer: The opinions on this blog do not represent any organization to which we may belong, or employers, or basically anybody but us. So there.
Since Sci wrote so recently about the preservation of somatic cells and gametes for species regulation, she thought it might be a good idea to run through some basic concepts. REALLY basic. Like the stuff you had in high school and forgot. That kind of basic. She was also inspired in this post by reading so recently about HeLa cells, and how they allowed scientists to make great strides in the deeper understanding of mitosis and the dysregulations that occur.
Why, you ask? Because basic is important, and because mitosis is PARTICULARLY important. Mitosis, when it happens, and how it happens is behind a lot of the things that concern many people today, things like aging and cancer, and who isn't concerned about those? And also, mitosis means lots of pretty pictures!
Sci wanted to cover mitosis from the original guy who started it all, Walther Flemming (yes, it's spelled 'Walther', though the English translation is Walter), but unfortunately all the best original documents are in German. Sci doesn't have too much German (ok, she doesn't have ANY), but if someone is willing to play translator for me (GrrlScientist? I know you're working on your German! :)) I'd love to play around with the original work!
As it is, we're just gonna go through it, with lots of pretty pictures and lots of pointing arrows. And a lot of explanations.
Your first picture: My-tosis
(Sci-s toses. Note the penguins and snowflakes in honor of this year's Snowpocalypse)
As I'm sure most of you are aware, the human species isn't really in immediate danger from dying out due to lack of mating partners (other reasons, I leave up to you). And after all, if all else fails, a trip to a sperm bank can often be arranged. But what about those rare animals growing steadily rarer from the encroachment of humans on their habitat? Well this is when you need to lend a hand. It's time to preserve some...eland semen.
Nel-Themaat et al. "Isolation, culture and characterisation of somatic cells derived from semen and milk of endangered sheep and eland antelope" Reproduction, fertility, and development, 2007.
(An eland. A type of antelope found in Africa. Very large, for antelope anyway, they weigh a tonne! A real tonne! Like 2,200 kg.)
First Neurotopia was picked for the top 30 Science blogs by the Times Online!!! Sci is very flattered and pleased for our mention:
Punchy and irreverent views on research and medical education from US postgrads/postdocs in neuroscience and physiology -- and has Friday Weird Science specials on the science of sex.
I figured this was going to be a neat kind of book, the real history of the vampire legend, and luckily I had a long plane ride coming up that was the perfect time for sticking my nose in a book and pretending that I am not packed into a flying sardine can. And so it went. And here it goes.
So after that whole myth about sex in space got thrown around and it turned out to be bunk (well, ok, I'm calling it bunk until I see the report my ownself, and I was SO happy to be able to say "sex...in...spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace...". Blah), I figure I owe you guys some REAL Friday Weird Science. Or at least, a really amusing hypothesis.
Ah, Journal of Medical Hypotheses. Where would we be without the hilarious, half-baked meanderings of people who submit their lightly-supported ideas to a journal with no peer-review?
I would like to dedicate this post to my laboratory manager. She is totally hilarious, and went through some rough surgery for carpal tunnel a few years ago. And now she's going to go through an even MORE rough time as I mock her for the next few years about how she GOT the carpel tunnel. Mwah-ha-ha-ha...
Apparently NASA astronauts have undergone secret testing (very secret, I can't get the report, too bad, too) for the examination of sex in space! This could be important for the survival of people in 0G for long periods of time, gotta propagate the species somehow. And Sci thinks it's long past time, I mean, what have all the astronauts been DOING in space all this time?! Playing cards (ok, maybe)?!
You can see the report here. But sadly, it doesn't say WHAT the 10 top positions turned out to be, except that missionary was simply "not possible".
Sci has to think it would be hard to have sex in space when you're specifically testing certain positions and being videotaped for posterity. The only thing that might make it worthwhile would the opportunity to say "sex...in....spaaaaaaaaace" while you do it.
Sci berreed in Open Lab. Sci so berried she not feed cat. Cat holding Sci hostidge until tuna delivered to specified locationz. Do not calls Poleez. Scicat has clawz.
You were warned,
Scicat
(really, you'd be surprised how realistic this is. I'm in there somewhere)
At SciOnline 2010 this year, I was lucky enough to snag a copy of the new book by Rebecca Skloot, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks". I'd been looking forward to reading it for a long time, so I plunked myself down when I got back, and despite some serious other time sinks on my part, managed to blast through it in about three days.
Sci is going to so some selfish Friday Weird Science today. Selfish, because this article isn't new, and was reported on by one of the GREATS. This guy. He (of course) did a completely brilliant job, and when he talked about it at SciOnline this past weekend, Sci was compelled to go and see the material for herself. And it's something to SEE. And so see it you shall.
The reason this is selfish is because Sci knows it's been reported on before. She wants to do it her ownself, as an excuse to read and understand the paper. And an excuse to giggle about it while she blogs it. There's that, too.
Images below the cut NSFW, especially if you work with ducks.
Brennan, Clark, and Prum. "Explosive eversion and functional morphology of the duck penis supports sexual conflict in waterfowl genitalia" Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2009.
The Evil Monkey has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from a southeastern U.S. university. After a postdoctoral nightmare of Inquisitorial proportions, he is currently working in a laboratory and an adjunct assistant professor at a nearby state university.
Scicurious is a graduate student wrestling with a PhD in Physiology at a southern institution. She is a nerd, a geek, and also a dork. And yes, that really is her brain.
NotoriousLTP is an MD-PhD student in New York City. After finishing (hopefully soon) his PhD in behavioral neuroscience, he will re-enter the fun vortex that is medical education.
