Updated Articles and Resources

By Regina Bailey, About.com Guide since 1997

Central Nervous System Created: Friday, December 09, 2011 Updated: Thursday, May 16, 2013
The nervous system is comprised of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is responsible for processing information received from the peripheral ne...
The Spinal Cord Created: Thursday, May 16, 2013 Updated: Thursday, May 16, 2013
The spinal cord is a cylindrical shaped bundle of nerve fibers that convey messages to and from the brain. The spongy spinal cord is protected by the irregular shaped bones of the spinal column cal...
Independent Assortment Created: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Updated: Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Mendel's law of independent assortment states that allele pairs separate independently during the formation of gametes. Therefore, traits are transmitted to offspring independently of one another.
White Blood Cell Created: Thursday, February 14, 2013 Updated: Thursday, April 25, 2013
Also called leukocytes, white blood cells play an important role in the immune system by protecting the body from infectious agents.
Lymphocytes Created: Friday, January 25, 2013 Updated: Thursday, April 25, 2013
Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that provide a means for specific and nonspecific immunity against antigens.
Antibiotics Created: Thursday, April 25, 2013 Updated: Thursday, April 25, 2013
Antibiotics and antimicrobial agents are drugs or chemicals that are used to kill or hinder the growth of bacteria.
Normal Cells Versus Cancer Cells Created: Thursday, April 18, 2013 Updated: Thursday, April 18, 2013
How do normal cells differ from cancer cells? Learn about the properties of normal cells versus cancer cells.
Sex-Linked Traits Created: Thursday, March 28, 2013 Updated: Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Sex linked traits originate from genes found on sex chromosomes. Hemophilia is an example of a common sex linked disorder that is an X linked recessive trait.
Ribosomes Created: Friday, November 28, 2008 Updated: Thursday, March 14, 2013
Ribosomes are cell organelles that consist of RNA and proteins. They are responsible for assembling the proteins of the cell.
Amino Acid Created: Friday, March 08, 2013 Updated: Friday, March 08, 2013
Amino acids are the basic components of proteins. They are essential to life because the proteins they form are involved in virtually all cell functions.
DNA Transcription Created: Friday, July 09, 2010 Updated: Wednesday, March 06, 2013
DNA transcription is a process that involves the transcribing of genetic information from DNA to RNA.
Carbon Monoxide Created: Friday, March 05, 2010 Updated: Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Information and resources pertaining to the effects of carbon monoxide and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Protein Structure Created: Thursday, February 28, 2013 Updated: Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Protein structure is determined by the sequence of amino acids that form a protein. The four protein structure levels are primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure.
Proteins Created: Friday, October 15, 2010 Updated: Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Proteins are very important molecules in cells. They have many diverse functions and all are typically constructed from one set of 20 amino acids.
Protein Function Created: Thursday, October 26, 2006 Updated: Friday, March 01, 2013
Proteins are very important molecules in our cells. Each protein within the body has a specific function.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Created: Thursday, June 02, 2011 Updated: Thursday, February 21, 2013
The endoplasmic reticulum is a network of tubules and flattened sacs that serve a variety of functions in the cell.
African Americans in Science Created: Friday, February 11, 2005 Updated: Thursday, February 21, 2013
Learn about the contributions that various African American scientists and inventors have made to science.
Incomplete Dominance - A Genetics Definition Created: Monday, February 26, 2007 Updated: Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Definition of the term incomplete dominance.
Pituitary Gland Created: Friday, July 08, 2011 Updated: Thursday, January 31, 2013
The pituitary gland is a small endocrine system organ that controls a multitude of important functions in the body.
Organ Systems Created: Friday, March 17, 2006 Updated: Friday, January 18, 2013
The human body is made up of several organ systems that work together as one unit.
Blood Vessels Created: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 Updated: Friday, January 18, 2013
Blood vessels are intricate networks of hollow tubes that transport blood throughout the entire body.
Skeletal System Created: Friday, January 18, 2013 Updated: Friday, January 18, 2013
The skeletal system is the support system for the body. It gives the body shape, form, and mobility while providing protection for sensitive organs.
Blood Created: Thursday, August 23, 2012 Updated: Thursday, December 20, 2012
Blood is the life fluid of the body as it provides nourishment to the cells, tissues, and organs of the body.
Blood Type Created: Thursday, December 20, 2012 Updated: Thursday, December 20, 2012
The presence or absence of certain identifiers on the surface of red blood cells determine human blood type.
Antibodies Created: Thursday, November 15, 2012 Updated: Thursday, December 20, 2012
Antibodies are specialized proteins that defend against foreign substances in the body. They are produced by white blood cells known as B cells that develop from bone marrow stem cells.
What Is the Nervous System? Video Created: Friday, October 12, 2012 Updated: Thursday, December 13, 2012
The human nervous system is necessary for controlling all of the other functions in the body. This About.com video will give you a brief overview of the nervous system.
RNA Created: Monday, December 10, 2012 Updated: Monday, December 10, 2012
RNA molecules are unique nucleic acids that are essential to protein synthesis. The three primary classes of RNA molecules are messenger RNA, transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA.
Genetic Variation Created: Thursday, June 24, 2010 Updated: Friday, November 30, 2012
In genetic variation, the alleles of organisms within a population change.
Gene Mutation Created: Thursday, September 20, 2012 Updated: Friday, November 30, 2012
A gene mutation is any change that occurs in the DNA. These changes can be beneficial to, have some effect on, or be seriously detrimental to an organism.
Genetic Code Created: Thursday, November 29, 2012 Updated: Thursday, November 29, 2012
The genetic code is the information in DNA and RNA that determines amino acid sequences in protein synthesis.
Cardiovascular System Created: Thursday, March 31, 2011 Updated: Monday, November 26, 2012
The cardiovascular system is responsible for transporting nutrients and removing gaseous waste from the body. This system is comprised of the heart and the circulatory system.
Types of Plant Cells Created: Thursday, June 16, 2011 Updated: Monday, November 26, 2012
There have a number of important specialized types of plant cells. Some examples of specialized plant cells include parenchyma cells, collenchyma cells and sclerenchyma cells.

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