The ability to learn from mistakes was thought to be found only in larger animals like humans. But this myth has been busted with the research involving the nine spined stickleback fishes. These fishes are only three inches long and found almost at the bottom of the food chain! It is the prime target for predators and hence the evolution of this ability is what the researchers have to say. The stickleback copies other fishes and uses this to find food. Their ability to observe and learn has been documented. A group of scientists got a tank full of sticklebacks and let them observe the feeding pattern of other fishes in another tank. They were fed worms from two inlets one of which produced large worms. When the sticklebacks were allowed to feed in the tank, 75% of the fishes had observed which inlet gave out the larger worms. This is evolution in even the tiniest of fishes. But the sad part is that we humans are destroying their natural habitat. There is a gradual dwindling of various species of fishes and there will not be any more of them left to study evolution! It may provide a valuable link to mankind and the evolution of the learning process which even the fishes are supposed to have.

The intestinal tract of the newborn is sterile. Within a few days thousands of bacteria invade the intestine. The small intestine has only a low concentration on bacteria but an enormous amount is found in the large intestine. The common bacteria are E. coli, lactobacilli, cocci, clostridia and others! These bacteria may serve very important functions which many are not aware of. The cellulose content of fruits and vegetables are digested. The bacteria may synthesize amino acids from wastes such as urea and this enhances the nutritional status of the person. Some bacteria synthesize vitamins. A substantial part of vitamin K is produced by these intestinal bacteria. B group vitamins biotin, thiamine, folic acid and B12 are also synthesized. These are the nutritionally productive bacteria. There are some which destroy ascorbic acid, folic acid and B12. The bacteria utilize these as a source of energy. The metabolism of ammonia, bile pigments and amino acids is largely due to intestinal bacteria. Thus the normal microbial flora is a delicately balanced ecosystem that has to be taken care of! Reckless use of antibiotics and purgatives may flush out all the bacteria and even lead to malnutrition in the person. Your healthy life depends on your intestinal bacteria too!

Genetics has fascinated man for long. It is an enigma to many but a fascination to anyone who takes interest to study it! Genetics is responsible for almost everything in you. From the color of your eyes to the shape of your toes, genetics is the master behind the art. To harness this power and wield it for the use of humanity has been many a scientists’ dream for years. There have been rapid strides in this field now. Recombinant DNA technology is the basis of genetic engineering. Two different DNA are fused by means of enzymes to produce the desired effect and incorporation of specific characters. Recombinant DNA vaccine is the most useful aspect of GE. The vaccine strain is fused to mouse DNA and the vaccine is obtained in the secretions of mouse. This is innovation at its zenith. Many of us would never have dreamed of this possible yet the brains behind this project make it possible. Genetically modified crops are being field tested pretty often. Genetic engineering is believed to have the potential to tackle the food scarcity of future generations! GM crops are designed to provide various nutrients in a single crop yield. Golden rice is a GM crop that has vitamin A incorporated. This will go a long way in combating vitamin A deficiency. We are on the brink of various useful technologies and let us pledge to use it with proper care!

Your fingers are the most essential and useful parts of your body. You can never imagine doing stuff without fingers or in that case nails too. Nails are made up of layers of keratin but are one of the most sensitive areas of the body and also receiving abundant supply of blood! Any accidental trauma or infection of the nail causes unbearable pain and profuse bleeding. The nail has specific parts – the root, nail bed, nail plate and lunula. The nail root extends several millimeter inside the fingers. It is the germinal layer of the nail, producing all the required keratin. The translucent nail plate is pink in color and contains keratin. It has grooves on the under surface, for anchoring it to the nail bed. Nail bed is the skin on the under side of the nail plate. Lunula is the half moon on your nail which all would have noticed! Nail infections are pretty common and injury is also frequent. Whitish patches on the nail plate indicate calcium deficit while loss of pink color of the nails points to the anemic condition of the person. Persons who are well nourished have smooth, pink colored nails. Improper diet causes cracking of nails. Hence people are advised to contact a physician if there is any nail deformity suspecting it some serious cause. Take care of your nails and know your nutritional state too!