Credit: PixabayWhen people think of motors, they typically envision those in vehicles or machines. However, biological motors have existed for millions of years, especially in microorganisms. Many bacteria rely on tail-like structures called flagella, which rotate to propel them through fluids. This movement is powered by a protein complex known as the flagellar motor.The...
Credit: PixabayUniversity of Oregon researchers have discovered a sex chromosome in the California two-spot octopus that likely dates back 480 million years—long before octopuses and nautiluses diverged. This makes it one of the oldest known animal sex chromosomes.The finding confirms that octopuses and other cephalopods, including squid and nautiluses, use chromosomes to determine sex,...
Marsupials, like kangaroos, give birth to premature offspring that then develop in the mother's pouchDepositphotosFor the first time, scientists have successfully created kangaroo embryos using in-vitro fertilization (IVF), marking a significant breakthrough in efforts to replicate this process across hundreds of marsupial species increasingly at risk of extinction.A research team from the University of...
Credit: PixabaySalmonella is commonly associated with contaminated food or water, but a new study reveals pet dogs might also be significant carriers of this bacteria. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University (PSU) found that dogs, even when asymptomatic, can transmit nontyphoidal, antibiotic-resistant Salmonella to humans. This discovery highlights the close relationship between humans and their...
A visual depiction of the KorB-KorA mechanism. The KorB protein (green) is trapped by its partner protein KorA (pink) on plasmid DNA (cyan). This prevents RNA polymerase (grey) from binding DNA and ultimately results in gene repression. Credit: Matthew ClarkAn international research team has achieved a major breakthrough in understanding how bacteria develop antibiotic...
Credit: PixabayA long-term study on little penguins in Australia has debunked the belief that these seabirds stay with one partner for life. The research uncovered a "divorce rate" nearly ten times higher than that of U.S. humans, with parenting success as the main factor behind separations.While some penguins, like Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), are...
"I am your pillbug, Luke" – Bathynomus vaderi is named for the fact that its distinctive head resembles Darth Vader's flared helmetNguyen Thanh SonWhat has 14 legs, dwells on the ocean floor, and resembles Darth Vader? A newly discovered supergiant isopod species, which you can even try as a dish if you visit Vietnam.What...
Credit: PixabayGeneration Alpha is about to face some competition.Babies born on January 1st and beyond belong to Generation Beta, a new cohort covering those born from 2025 to 2039.Research firm McCrindle shared in a blog post that by 2035, Gen Beta will make up 16% of the global population, and many will likely live...
Artist's impression of the brain's surprisingly slow speed of thoughtJieyu ZhengWe like to think of ourselves as quick thinkers, but new research from Caltech reveals that our brains process information at an astonishingly slow rate of about 10 bits per second. Despite our sensory systems gathering data 100 million times faster, this leisurely pace...
Credit: PixabayThroughout human history, twins have been rare and often considered extraordinary. Many cultures associate them with vitality or duality, symbolizing life and death or good and evil. Some mythologies even credit twins with founding nations or being deities.However, new research reveals that twins were once the evolutionary norm for our primate ancestors, challenging...
