physiology
dr. dolittle | June 19, 2017
Estradiol is the major estrogen in humans. Chemical structure by NEUROtiker (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
I came across an article published in Physiological Reviews with a title so irresistible (Estrogens in Male Physiology), I just had to read it. While I knew that males have estrogen, this article impressed me with the numerous things estrogens are associated with, some of which were new to me and highlight how important estrogens are to male reproductive and non-reproductive physiology.
As early as the 1930's researchers discovered that stallions had high levels…
dr. dolittle | November 1, 2016
The annual American Physiological Society sponsored conference, The Integrative Biology of Exercise is hosting their 7th meeting in Phoenix, AZ this week! I just unpacked my bags and I am highlighting my program book now to see what sessions to attend tomorrow. Can't wait!
dr. dolittle | August 5, 2016I am very excited to report that the American Physiological Society in partnership with the The Physiological Society held a joint meeting from July 29-31 in Dublin, Ireland. The keynote lectures were given by Dr. Jerry Friedman from Rockefeller University and Dr. W Jon Lederer from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Friedman spoke about his research on obesity and how genetic factors might play a role. In fact, his team was responsible for discovering the obesity (ob) gene in mice in 1994 and identifying the similar gene in humans. The gene encodes the now iconic hormone leptin, which is…
dr. dolittle | April 20, 2016
I am very excited to report this year's awardees from the Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology Section (CEPS) of the American Physiological Society!
The New Investigator Award is given to a young investigator who has made contributed significantly to the field of comparative and evolutionary physiology. This year's awardee is Casey Mueller from California State University, San Marcos.
Casey Mueller (middle) receiving the New Investigator Award. She is standing with the CEPS Chair, Dr. Michael Hedrick (left) and the 2016 August Krogh Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Jon Harrison (right).
The…
dr. dolittle | April 6, 2016
Today was the final day of the meeting.
Dr. Joe Thompson (Franklin and Marshall College) spoke about oblique striated muscles, which get their name from the diagonal pattern formed by the location of the Z-lines. This type of muscle is common among cephalopods, nematodes, tunicates, molluscs, etc.
Dr. John Whiteman (University of Wyoming) gave a fascinating talk about polar bears and whether hunting on the shore as compared to the sea ice helped the animals replenish stores after hibernation or fasting as well as how foraging patterns affected activity levels.
Dr. Michael Butcher (…
dr. dolittle | March 31, 2016Don't forget to vote for your favorite Phantastic Physiology Voyage video from trainees sponsored by the American Physiological Society. This year's theme is “Function Follows Form.”
Here is just a sample of the phantastic videos (from YouTube) in the contest:
To see the rest of the videos and vote for your favorite, click here!
dr. dolittle | February 14, 2016I am excited to report that it's that time of year again when the American Physiological Society hosts their annual video contest! This year's Phantastic Physiology Voyage theme is “Function Follows Form.”
Here is just a sample of the fun videos in the contest:
Please vote for your favorite physiology video here!
gregladen | November 25, 2015I mention a couple of kids books in my overviews on Fossil and Evolution Books and Books about Climate Change. Here are a few excellent science and computer programming (aka coding) books for kids.
Geology book for kids
The Incredible Plate Tectonics Comic: The Adventures of Geo, Vol. 1 is a good stab at making a comic that teaches some science.
We follow the adventures of Geo and his robotic dog, Rocky as the visit the ancient supercontinent of Pangea. This journey is pursuant to Geo's upcoming test in his geology class.
What is the center of the Earth made out of? How do volcanoes work?…
dr. dolittle | November 24, 2015
The Arizona Physiological Society held their 8th annual conference Nov 13-14 at Midwestern University in Glendale. This was a great meeting for comparative physiologists!
Here are some comparative physiology highlights from the meeting:
The 2015 Keynote Speaker was Dr. Andrew Biewener (Harvard University) who spoke about "How do running animals acheive stability? The neuromechanical control of rapid locomotion." In his talk he focused on understanding how Guinea fowl avoid tripping when running really fast over uneven surfaces.
The 2015 Arizona Distinguished Lecture was given by Dr. Eldon…
dr. dolittle | November 10, 2015This is an exciting weekend for science!
This Friday and Saturday the 8th annual Arizona Physiological Society is hosting their annual conference in Glendale, Arizona. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Andrew Biewener (Harvard University) who will present “How Do Running Animals Achieve Stability? The Neuromechanical Control of Rapid Locomotion.” The Arizona Distinguished Lecturer will be Dr. Eldon Braun (University of Arizona) who will present “The Comparative Physiology of Osmoregulation: Lessons from Avian Studies.”
The second meeting of TetZooCon, otherwise known as the Tetrapod Zoology…
dr. dolittle | October 23, 2015The Tennessee Physiological Society held their annual conference on October 9th at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Here are highlights from the meeting:
Have you ever heard of "dry needling"? It is a treatment used by some physical therapists that is designed to help alleviate muscle pain by inserting small needles into trigger points. Researchers in Tennessee wanted to know if there were any risks for bacterial infections so they swabbed areas of the skin where dry needling typically takes place as well as the needles that were used. They found that at least one swab collected…
dr. dolittle | August 16, 2015I came across the "I Spy Physiology" blog today from the American Physiological Society. The blog focuses on physiological topics relevant to daily life. There are also a couple of comparative physiology gems in the blog that you can view using the links below:
How birds my help us understand diabetes
How research on walking stick insects may help us to understand how the brain times leg contractions to regulate walking
Pretty neat stuff!
dr. dolittle | April 16, 2015Hats off to all of the comparative physiologists who were recognized for their hard work and exciting research at the 2015 annual Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology Business meeting at the Experimental Biology conference earlier this month. I thought I would take a moment to recognize each awardee:
Arthur DeVries (left), University of Illinois: 2015 Krogh Distinguished Lecturer (Image Credit: Tom Ecay, CEPS Secretary)
Karen Sweazea, Arizona State University: New Investigator Award (Image credit: Tom Ecay, CEPS Secretary)
Csilla Ari, University of South Florida: Research…
dr. dolittle | April 2, 2015
Yesterday was the final day of the meeting with many late breaking poster presentations as well as this year's Nobel Laureate lecture.
This year's American Physiological Society Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Lecture was given by Dr. Robert J Lefkowitz from Howard Hughes Med. Inst. and Duke Univ. Med. Ctr. He was awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry in 2012. What makes him famous is a tiny receptor located in the plasma membrane of cells called the G-protein coupled receptor. He is known for discovering the receptor for adrenaline (i.e. the fight or flight hormone) by attaching…
dr. dolittle | March 26, 2015
I am so excited about the Experimental Biology conference this year in Boston, MA! I have packed my bags, prepared my posters and am on my way to the airport. As usual there will be several seminars and poster sessions about various comparative physiology topics sponsored by the American Physiological Society that look really exciting. Can't wait!
To learn more about the meeting, visit the American Physiological Society's website dedicated to the conference.
#ExpBio
dr. dolittle | October 10, 2014 Image from the American Physiological Society's website.http://www.the-aps.org/mm/Conferences/APS-Conferences/2014-Conferences/…
Wednesday was the last day of the meeting that culminated in a closing banquet with an awards session to honor students who had exceptional presentations. What an impressive group of young comparative physiologists! The plenary lecture was given by Dr. Steven Chown (Monash Univ, Australia). He spoke about climate change forecasts and continuing environmental changes and how important it is to understand how animals adapt to changing conditions in order to make…
dr. dolittle | October 8, 2014 Image from the American Physiological Society's website.http://www.the-aps.org/mm/Conferences/APS-Conferences/2014-Conferences/…
Tuesday was no less exciting than Monday!
Here are some highlights:
I thoroughly enjoyed a session called "Overcoming a Major Physiological Barrier: Adaptation from Saline to Freshwater Habitats" which highlighted the need for several species to shift how they regulate ion balance when they migrate between fresh water (ion absorption from the water) and salt water (ion secretion to the water).
Clements K, Bojarski L, Johnson K, McMillan S, White L, Angert E (Univ…
dr. dolittle | October 6, 2014 Image from the American Physiological Society's website.http://www.the-aps.org/mm/Conferences/APS-Conferences/2014-Conferences/…
As anticipated, the meeting today was excellent! Here are some highlights from today:
Dr. Michael Joyner (Mayo Clinic) spoke about how we should reconsider animal models that are used in research as laboratory rodents can be manipulated to match their genotype to their phenotype. In other words, researchers modify the animal's genome to produce a specific disease or attribute they are interested in studying. The problem with this approach is that genes can be…
dr. dolittle | September 29, 2014 Image from the American Physiological Society's website.http://www.the-aps.org/mm/Conferences/APS-Conferences/2014-Conferences/…
I am really excited about the comparative physiology conference that starts this weekend in San Diego! Here is a press release about the meeting (author Stacy Brooks from the American Physiological Society):
Bethesda, Md. (September 25, 2014) — More than 400 comparative and evolutionary physiologists will gather to present new research and discoveries in animal physiology at the American Physiological Society’s 2014 intersociety meeting “Comparative Approaches to…
dr. dolittle | July 12, 2014 Image from the American Physiological Society's website.http://www.the-aps.org/mm/Conferences/APS-Conferences/2014-Conferences/…
Phew!! I just submitted my abstract for the Comparative Physiology meeting that will be held this October. Judging from the preliminary program, it is going to be an exciting meeting!
Here is a description of the meeting from the American Physiological Society's website:
"Comparative physiology takes advantage of the diverse evolutionary histories and ecological settings of animals. By definition, comparative physiology is broad, spanning a variety of animal taxa…