Pandas are closely related to carnivorous mammals (like all the other bears), but they consume mostly bamboo. Their digestive tracts are short and adapted for digesting meat, not cellulose that is found in plants. In fact, they only digest about 20% of all the bamboo they eat, and they eat a lot of bamboo (30-60 … Continue reading Pandas are lazy!
Probiotics for autism
The human microbiome is a hot topic in biology these days. It is becoming clear that the microbes living in and on our body can have major consequences for our health and happiness. In fact, abnormalities in the gut microbiome may underlie one of the great medical mysteries of our time: autism. That some bacteria … Continue reading Probiotics for autism
This is why pre-meds have to learn about fungi
By now we all know there are tons of bacteria living in our guts (we are made up of 10x more bacteria than human cells!) The bacteria help us digest food and make new molecules. If our microbiome gets disrupted it can lead to serious digestive problems. It has also been suggested that our bacteria … Continue reading This is why pre-meds have to learn about fungi
Robin Ball 