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Vanderbilt University researchers say they're working to unleash an insect repellent on mosquitoes that’s more powerful than DEET. The discovery could one day be effective in reducing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria. It's based on a mosquito's sense of smell. With support from the National Science Foundation, Vanderbilt University biologist Laurence Zwiebel researched which mosquito genes are linked to odor reception. He discovered a separate odor sensor on a mosquito's antennae. According to Zwiebel, mosquitoes use odor sensors to sniff out humans and other tasty animals to bite. The new insect repellent compound takes advantage of his discovery by overwhelming the mosquito’s odor sensors to the point that they can't smell anything else and get scared away.
(Source: DCMP)
Investigates the reasons why cattle and humans have been linked together for over 30,000 years. Analyzes the anatomy of the cow's stomach, detailing the purpose of each chamber. Visit the Masai with their cattle herds and the sacred cows of India. Introduces the main cattle breed of the 800 breeds developed in England, explaining how artificial selection is used to produce desirable characteristics. Also introduces British dairy cow detailing the working of the udder and teats and the use of genetic engineering to increase milk production. Interviews Eric Schlosser, an author about the development of slaughterhouse methods in America. Also visits a family ranch where cattle are being raised in natural conditions under a grass management system.
A quick glance at the marsh next to Saquatucket Harbor in Harwich Port, Massachusetts, reveals right away that some of the grass is missing. The cordgrass there, and all around Cape Cod, has been slowly disappearing for decades. Marine ecologist Mark Bertness of Brown University studies this critical ecosystem, which protects our coastal environment by nurturing a complex web of plants and animals, filtering nutrients, and serving as a critical storm barrier. Bertness says the marshes are being overrun by purple marsh crabs because their main predators, blue crab and finfish, are being overfished. So, the purple marsh crabs are free to gorge on healthy fields of cordgrass and once done feeding, they leave behind nothing but lumpy fields of mud.
The goal of this research is to determine the mechanisms underlying predatory and defensive behavior guided by an extraordinarily novel sensor in snakes. Pit vipers, pythons and boas possess special organs that form images in the brain of the thermal environment, much like vision occurs in the human brain. Thus, these snakes see heat, and this amazing system is the most sensitive infrared detector on Earth, natural or artificial. A better understanding of infrared-based thermal imaging in snakes is important not only for understanding complex behavior in these highly efficient predators, but also for understanding the evolution of imaging sensors and the behaviors they support in other animals including people. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
Molecular biologist Scott Santos and his team at Auburn University are studying an unusual and endangered ecosystem in Hawaii called Anchialine pools. A threatened ecosystem, Anchialine pools are inland lava depressions found near the ocean that feed off fresh water aquifers. Little is known about the creatures and plants that live in these brackish waters, but a number of the lava pools are being destroyed by invasive species and development. With support from the National Science Foundation, Santos and his team captured video and photographs of this unique habitat during a two month field study. He hopes his research will help save the pools before they totally disappear. One of the most famous creatures in the Anchialine pools is a legendary tiny red shrimp.
Tongue taste areas The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of most vertebrates that manipulates food for mastication, and is used in the act of swallowing. It is of importance in the digestive system and is the primary organ of taste in the gustatory system. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered in taste buds housed in numerous lingual papillae. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels. The tongue also serves as a natural means of cleaning the teeth. A major function of the tongue is the enabling of speech in humans and vocalization in other animals. The human tongue is divided into two parts, an oral part at the front and a pharyngeal part at the back. The left and right sides are also separated along most of its length by a vertical section of fibrous tissue (the lingual septum) that results in a groove, the median sulcus on the tongue's surface. There are two groups of muscles of the tongue. The four intrinsic muscles alter the shape of the tongue and are not attached to bone. The four paired extrinsic muscles change the position of the tongue and are anchored to bone. Do you have good taste? In this video segment, Dr. Linda Bartoshuk explores the sense of taste in humans - why we have it, and what happens when we lose it. Learn why the sense of smell is also important to our experience of food. Footage from NOVA: "Mystery of the Senses: Taste".
(Source: OpenStax)
Showing collections 1 to 4 of 4
Resources to teach younger students about animals
A collection containing 58 resources, curated by DIAGRAM Center
Biology related concepts
A collection containing 59 resources, curated by Benetech
Resources related to vision
A collection containing 12 resources, curated by Charles LaPierre
Collection of anatomy resources
A collection containing 21 resources, curated by Benetech
