Okay, Mom. I am going to sleep now ;-) 11:56:36 PM
Public Release: 20-Dec-2002
Science UC Riverside study suggests placentas can evolve in 750,000 years or less
UC Riverside biologists, David Reznick and Mark Springer, present in the journal SCIENCE a model system for studying the evolution of complex organs. On studying guppy-like fish in the genus Poeciliopsis, they report that placentas have evolved independently three times in closely related Poeciliopsis species. They find that the shortest time interval between a poeciliid species with a placenta and its last common ancestor without one was 750,000 years.
National Science Foundation
The creation of complex organs is still not well understood. But we are rapidly gaining a real understanding. The fact that the placenta could evolve so rapidly is very striking. I believe that many of the complex organs we see will develop from altered developmental signals. (Yes, pun intended.) Whether placenta fall in this group remains to be seen. 11:55:59 PM
Public Release: 23-Dec-2002
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Cell division required, twice before fat cells mature
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine scientists have shown for the first time that primitive fat cells must copy themselves at least twice before they can mature into full-fledged fat-storing cells. The finding, published online the week of Dec. 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may help provide new targets for understanding and treating obesity.
NIH/National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
The life history of adiposyttes is slowly unraveling. If we can understand how they develop, ways to alter that development can be created. This study demonstrates that the cells need to divide twice before any of the fat genes can be turned on. It will be interesting to see some microarray work that displays what genes are turned on at this point. 11:52:54 PM
Christmastime is such a fun part of the year. I'm glad it comes but once a year. I'll try to get some blogging done tonight. 11:39:03 PM
