bone
dr. dolittle | November 14, 2014 Comparison of normal bone (left) with osteoporosis (Image from www.medguidance.com)
A recent review published by Dr. Graziana Colaianni (University of Bari, Italy) and colleagues in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, has summarized recent research on the role of the hormone oxytocin in the regulation of bone mass.
Bone remodeling and rebuilding are constantly occurring in our bodies. Osteoporosis is a condition that develops when the process of building new bone does not keep up with the process of breaking down "old" bone tissue.…
dr. dolittle | July 5, 2014 Bone-house wasps protect their young by building walls made of ant carcasses. Image from: Merten Ehmig
A new species of spider wasp that protect their young with walls made of ant carcasses has been discovered in the forests of China. Dr. Michael Staab from the University of Freiburg discovered the new species which he named Deuteragenia ossarium meaning "bone-house wasp" since the wasps reminded him of the ossuaries in Europe with structures decorated from human bones.
Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic. Image from Wikipedia.
Similar to the ossuaries, the bone-house wasps use alive…
dr. dolittle | July 9, 2013Ever wonder what dogs and hyenas have in common? Would you be surprised to learn that hyenas are more closely related to cats than dogs? In fact, according to this video thesis, the shared bone-crushing abilities of dogs and hyenas is actually an example of convergent evolution.
dr. dolittle | June 12, 2012Drs. Chia Soo and Bruno Péault, from the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, have found a way to turn stem cells from fat tissue into bone of higher quality than that grown with prior techniques.
The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from the fat tissue may develop into bone, cartilage, muscle as well as other tissues. More importantly, fat tissue is easily accessible through liposuction.
What is unique about their research is that they were able to purify stem cells from fat tissue relatively quickly. Until now, the isolated cells were a…
laelaps | May 1, 2010
The skull of a juvenile white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), photographed in suburban Pennsylvania.
bioephemera | April 17, 2009Jewelry designer Delfina Delettrez is young, a fourth-generation member of the Fendi family, and apparently obsessed with anatomy. Her most intriguing creation is a Skeletor-like carpal gauntlet:
The silver hand will cost you about $24K. If you haven't got that much disposable income, she also does smaller pieces: earrings and necklaces inspired by eyes, lips, spiders, cephalopods, frogs, etc. They're pretty, but I keep coming back to that hand and thinking it's so cynically appropriate to put a bony skeleton hand on a fashion model.
Found via haute macabre
sciencepunk | March 6, 2009
Thanks to BoingBoing for this great video of Mr George the SuperMagnetMan, vendor of all manner of high quality, super-powerful magnets. As he demonstrates in this video, these magnets aren't toys! Or rather they are toys, albeit ones powerful enough to crush your puny, fleshy fingers. The money shot is around the 3-minute mark...
So perhaps you've watched the lime getting pulverised into the beginnings of a good pie, and you're still not convinced these magnets are dangerous. Lucky then, that someone out there was unlucky so you don't have to be stupid. Here's the aftermath of Dirk's…
laelaps | October 12, 2007Everyone now and then I come across a post so good that I wish I had written it myself; Matt of the HMNH has posted on such piece of excellent science blogging all about dinosaur furculas. It might not sound very exciting to those unfamiliar with dinosaur anatomy, but the ignorance of fused clavicles in theropod dinosaurs until recently has had a major impact on concepts of evolution (especially involving birds). I'm sure it'll turn up in tomorrow's edition of The Boneyard over at microecos, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone nominated it for the next installment of The Open Laboratory,…