Photo courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The scientific community has known for quite some time that inhaling carbon dioxide can trigger fear and anxiety. A study published in the journal Cell sheds light on how carbon dioxide triggers fear in mice. Carbon dioxide raises the level of acidity in the brain. This leads to the activation of a protein called acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a). This protein is found in large quantities in the brain's fear center, the amygdala.

The researchers also demonstrated in the study that the automatic responses associated with fear can be reduced by lowering acidity levels in the brain. This discovery may have implications on how anxiety disorders are treated in humans. As researcher John Wemmie states, "It's been suggested that controlling breathing with breath exercises could have anti-anxiety effects. Our results make me wonder if some of those breath exercises to control fear and anxiety might be acting by inhibiting the ASIC channels in the amygdala, thereby raising the pH." The next step is to determine whether the ASIC1a protein reacts similarly in humans as it does in mice.

Learn more about this discovery:

• Study Sheds Light on Brain's Fear Processing Center University of Iowa

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org

University of Montreal researchers are studying an interesting relationship that exists between a certain species of wasp and ladybugs found in Quebec. It seems that the wasps use ladybugs to carry their larvae, however the ladybugs come through unscathed.

According to researchers, the wasp captures and paralyzes the ladybug before laying its eggs. The larvae attach to the ladybug's legs until they mature and break free from their cocoons. What is unique about this relationship is that the ladybugs survive the encounter and go on with their normal activities.

Learn more about this discovery:

• Ladybugs Taken Hostage by Wasps Science Daily

Male Turkey Keith Weller/USDA

According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans surveyed eat turkey during Thanksgiving. About 45 million turkeys are consumed during this time, which translates to about 675 million pounds of turkey. Before sitting down to enjoy that holiday meal, I believe it is appropriate to pay tribute to this splendid bird by discovering some interesting turkey facts.

Turkeys have interesting features that stand out upon first glance. One of the first things people notice about turkeys are the red, fleshy stretches of skin and bulbous growths located around the head and neck region. These structures are the:

• Caruncle-fleshy bumps on the head and neck
  
• Snood-long flap of flesh that hangs over the beak
  
• Wattle-red skin that hangs from the neck

The wild turkey is the only type of poultry native to North America and is the ancestor of the domesticated turkey. Although wild and domesticated turkeys are related, there are some differences between the two. While wild turkeys are capable of flight, domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys typically have dark colored feathers, while domesticated turkeys are commonly bred to have white feathers.

More About Turkeys:

• Science and Turkey
  
• Turkey Test
  
• Baby Animal Name Game

Bacteriophage Structure © Gary E. Kaiser

Viruses are unique organisms that can infect humans, plants and even bacteria. Texas A&M University researchers are exploring the possibility of using knowledge gained from bacteriophages (bacteria infecting viruses) to help fight bacterial infections in humans.

A single virus particle (virion) is in and of itself essentially inert. It lacks needed components that cells have to reproduce. Once a virus has infected a cell, it will "marshal" the cell's ribosomes, enzymes and much of the cellular machinery to reproduce. Viral reproduction produces many progeny, that when complete, leave the host cell to infect other cells in the organism. In order for the newly formed bacteriophages to be able to leave the host cell, they must penetrate the bacterial cell wall.

The researchers in this study have determined the specific enzyme that is responsible for the destruction of the cell wall. Researcher Sun Qingan states, "This finding enables us to better understand the release process and provides us with a possible target when we want to control the destruction of bacteria cell walls or prohibit this action in some infectious diseases." The enzyme, R12, breaks down the bacterial cell wall from inside the cell causing the bacterium to split open.

Learn more about this discovery:

• How Viruses Destroy Bacteria Science Daily