A study published in the March 29, 2006 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, reports that stem cells can repair damaged spinal tissue. The study was performed on rats. Stem cells ... Read More

A true-breeding plant, when self-fertilized, only produces offspring with the same traits. For example, the gene for seed shape in pea plants exists in two forms: one form or allele for ... Read More

Valves are flap-like structures that allow blood to flow in one direction. The pulmonary valve is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Image Credit: Heart image © MedValet. Additional Reading: Anatomy ... Read More

Researchers from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute report that humpback whale songs have elements of a language. The researchers were able to analyze a series of whale sounds (moans, cries, ... Read More

The hypothalamus is an important part of the limbic system. The hypothalamus has several functions, but its main function is homeostasis. Homeostasis is the maintaining of bodily equilibrium by monitoring and adjusting ... Read More

Homogametic refers to the production of gametes that contain one type of chromosome. An example of this would be the female gametes or eggs, which contain only the X sex chromosome. Additional ... Read More

The human body is made up of several organ systems that work together as one unit. There are ten major organ systems of the body. Some of these systems include ... Read More

HIV survives in an infected person by attacking and killing white blood cells called helper T lymphocytes. Other white blood cells called cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) or killer T cells ... Read More

Programmed cell death or apoptosis is a necessary process that occurs in our cells. Apoptosis works to keep the body's natural process of cell division or mitosis in check. Cells that become ... Read More

A phenotype is an organism's expressed physical traits. These traits or characteristics are easily observable, such as hair color, eye color, or height. The phenotype of an organism is the result ... Read More

Researchers reveal that bats use a process called active listening to locate prey in clustered environments. In active listening, bats adjust their vocal cries emitting sounds of variable pitch, length, and ... Read More

The fornix is an arching, fibrous band of nerve fibers. It connects the hippocampus to the hypothalamus. The fornix is part of the limbic system. Limbic system structures are involved in many ... Read More

Researchers shed light on how the brain perceives real and imagined touch. The study was published in the March 2006 issue of the journal PLoS Biology. The researchers were able to ... Read More

The pulmonary veins extend from the left atrium to the lungs. There are four pulmonary veins: right superior, right inferior, left superior, and left inferior. Image Credit: Heart image © MedValet. Additional Reading: Anatomy ... Read More