We Found the Ankle!

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Until recently, the only proof we had of Earth's earliest primates were several teeth and a few mouth bones. The bones were found in northeastern Montana in a place very close to where the first Tyrannosaurus Rex was first discovered. Scientists couldn't tell much from the teeth because they were so primitive, so they decided to set out and find more proof of this primate. They decided to search in the same area they originally found the bones, and after only two days the discovered an ankle bone! To us, an ankle bone doesn't have much significance. But to paleontologists Stephen Chester and Jonathan Bloch, this ankle bone was the exact proof they needed. It proved that what they call Purgatorius really was one of the first primates on Earth. They discovered that the ankle could have moved in many different ways which meant that Purgatorius could have easily scampered along the ground as well as climbed trees.

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Sources: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346001/description/Earliest_primate_had_tree-climber_ankles

Who's At Fault?

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Since DNA was first discovered, we have continued to find uses for it. One of the most profound uses is that of gel electrophoresis. What you're about to learn could keep you from going to jail, so keep reading. When the police or other authorities are working on a case and there is more than one suspect, gel electrophoresis is often what they turn to. After collecting the suspects' DNA samples they send them to the forensics lab where the magic happens. All the samples are placed on a porous gel in separate sections with the unknown DNA in order to compare them. When a current is applied, the molecules move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode. The size of the fragments determines how far they will move. When the process is over the fragments will appear as bands that are visible through staining them. By doing this, it is easy to see whose DNA matches up with the suspect's. This technology has helped keep a lot of people out of jail, and given families of lost loved ones peace.

Sources: Class Notes-Chapter 12:DNA Technology and Genomics

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With the Flick of a Switch!

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Karl Deisseroth, a scientist at Stanford University, has discovered a way to control brains with different colored lights. His idea of lights being able to change our lives came to him at a stoplight. He thought of it with idea that when we drive through stoplights, one part of our mind in controlled by the lights and what command they are, while the other part of our mind can be focused on something completely different at the same time. He wanted to test out this idea, so he did so with mice the basic "lab rats". First he introduced the mice to cocaine, to which they got addicted. After the mice had showed signs of euphoria associated with the cocaine he then used flashes of bright yellow light. Those flashes immediately blocked the mice's need for the high of the cocaine. After being shown the lights, the mice showed no more interest in the cocaine as they did before they were exposed to it. Deisseroth's technique is now known as optogenetics. Maybe with this knowledge that he has gave us, we can hopefully cure psychiatric diseases as well as drug addictions. The most remarkable part about all of this is that we can do these things with "the flick of a switch".
Sources: http://discovermagazine.com/2012/sep/25-controlling-brains-with-flick-of-light-switch

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Genetically Modified Organisms

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After years and years of discovering DNA, chromosomes that are found inside it, and the genes that make them up, scientists have found a new way to utilize that information. Scientists now have the ability to artificially insert genes into an organism in order to enhance it. If the organism has more than one gene artificially inserted, it's technically called genetically modified. Organisms containing only one gene from another species is called a transgenic organism. Genetically modified organisms can be very beneficial to us. For example, GM plants have completely changed the world of agriculture. By introducing different specific genes to plants, scientists have successfully made them resistant to herbicides and pests. They also have successfully increased the amount of minerals in certain plants we consume. Genetically modified organisms are not only limited to plants. Animals can be modified too such as improving qualities, increasing production of proteins, or therapeutics. With all the positive effects that come with genetically modifying organisms there are also some negative effects that can come along with it, especially with plants. GM plants can potentially introduce allergens into the food supply or spread genes to related plants. Genetically modifying organisms can bring great things to the table, which is why scientists take extra safety precautions to protect the health of humans and the environment.
Sources: Class Notes: Chapter 12-DNA Technology and Genomics

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