I learned this today. Deep sea fish can survive because they don’t breathe in the same way that we do. However, even they cannot survive at the very bottom of the ocean. Pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch). If someone weighing 14.7 pounds stood on you, you would […]
#219 Why don’t deep sea fish get crushed by the pressure? Read More »
I learned this today. FOXP2 is known as the language gene. FOXP2 stands for Forkhead box protein P2. Forkhead box proteins bind to a specific DNA sequence to control the rate of information. They are important for cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and longevity. They, and all of the forkhead box proteins, have a
#213 What is the language gene, FOXP2? Read More »
I learned this today. We all age and there are nine problems that aging causes in humans. These are DNA mutations, faulty gene expressions, shortening telomeres, the build up of faulty proteins, worn out cells don’t die, mitochondria become faulty, metabolism becomes faulty, stem cells become exhausted, and cells lose the ability to communicate with
#210 What problems does aging in humans cause? Read More »
I learned this today. Statins work by blocking a substance that our bodies need to make cholesterol. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, whitish-yellow fatty substance that our bodies use to build cells, make vitamin D, and make hormones, and fat dissolving acids. It is an essential part of our bodies. A 68 kg,
#209 How do statins work? Read More »
I learned this today. Cows combine nutrients from their blood, sugar, fat, and water in their udders to produce milk. All mammals, except for monotremes (like the duck billed platypus) produce milk. In all but one case the milk is produced by the female mammal. The only male mammal that produces milk is the Dayak
#208 How do cows produce milk? Read More »
I learned this today. Different things have different tastes because the taste buds in our mouths can react to different chemicals in different ways. There are basically five tastes. Those are sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. Umami is another word for “savory” and the fact that we can taste for it was discovered
#206 Why do things taste different? Read More »
I learned this today. A pacemaker works by using electrical stimulation to make the heart muscles contract and the heart pump blood. A pacemaker is used to alter the rhythm of a heart. It is usually implanted to help with a slow or an irregular heartbeat. There are many reasons why a heartbeat could become
#203 How does a pacemaker work? Read More »
I learned this today. Fish that live in saltwater have evolved to draw in large amounts of water through osmosis to replace the water that they lose because of the salt. We cannot do this. Salt draws water out of cells by the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the process by which a liquid moves
#201 Why can fish drink saltwater but we can’t? Read More »
I learned this today. Plants are green because they absorb light in the wavelengths that are red and blue, while reflecting light in the wavelength that is green. Plants create energy through the process of photosynthesis. They convert light energy into chemical energy. Living organisms that convert light into energy are called autotrophs (photoautotrophs to
#200 Why are plants green? Read More »
I learned this today. A pearl forms in the shell of a mollusk when an irritant becomes trapped there and the mollusk covers it with a fluid that hardens. There are three different types of pearl. There are natural pearls, cultured pearls, and imitation pearls. I am not going to look at imitation pearls. Natural
#192 How does a pearl form? Read More »
