CSB #3: You Are What You Eat. Proven By Bees?

Definitions

• larvae - The newly hatched, earliest stage of any of various animals that undergo metamorphosis, differing markedly in form and appearance from the adult.
• methylation - An organic compound in which the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group of methyl alcohol is replaced by a metal.
• Gene expression - the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product.

Summary

• Grow up eating a nutrition-rich diet of royal jelly and you will become royalty, whereas eating honey and you'll turn into a worker. The research, led by Ryszard Maleszka, of the Australian National University's college of medicine, biology and environment, shows that this reflects on humans too. The findings show that diet could modify the ''genetic hardware'' of the brain. Additionally, the bee's diet not only affected its behavior but also its DNA. Two groups of genetically identical female bees developed from differentially fed larvae were studied at the ANU and the German Cancer Institute. One group was fed highly nutritious royal jelly; the others honey. The results showed the honey-fed bees became the workers while those fed royal jelly became queen bees. Also, there was a difference in the two DNA. The implications for human health are brought up because the enzymes that mark the DNA in the bee are the same ones that mark DNA in human brains. The results show the difficulties of the chemical DNA methylation, which has the ability to change gene expression without affecting the genetic code.

Discussion

• I think this topic allows people to relate and look back at what we consume. From a personal perspective, my parents are always "nagging" me to eat right, but I did not know it could impact more than just your behavior and attitude. This article made me think that maybe if the world eats healthier, we could accomplish more in life. By accomplishments, not only the physical ones such as the reduction of childhood obesity, but also mental ones. For example, if someone started eating healthy and had a diabetes problem running through the family, their new diet could affect their future children by removing or lowering the risk. Also, choosing bees for this experiment caught my attention. Normally, these types of tests are on animals rather than insects.

Questions

• Why were bees chosen? There are numerous animals that come close to the human body, so why wasn't the experiment done on one of them?
• Does this mean eating right could create more higher paying jobs? Would we get more doctors, lawyers, scientists, and CEO s in the world just by changing the fries to a salad?
  

Resources

• http://dictionary.reference.com/
• Smith, Bridie. "Bees Prove a Good Diet Can Set Our Path in Life ." The Sydney
  Morning Herald. Fairfax Media, 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.
  bees-prove-a-good-diet-can-set-our-path-in-life-20101115-17ufk.html>.

CSB #2 Human Robot?

Definitions:

• android - a robot representing a human being
• senility - being mentally or physically weak due to old age

Summary:

• In Tsukuba, Japanese researchers have developed an android that mimics human expressions and can be used as a friend for the elderly, disabled children, and infants. A research group at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba City, near Tokyo, showed off the Actroid-F. The robot can bow and tilt its head. It can additionally blink and frown. The facial movements can be controlled from personal computers. Eventually, it will be a talking partner for the elderly to help prevent senility. The robot is half the weight of past models and batteries can be charged at home.

Discussion:

• I think this will be a great help to people. Especially for all those parents who have to stay home and support the child or adult in need, will have it easier. They can go back to work and earn more money. Plus it has realistic features, making younger children feel safer and more comfortable with the home environment. I chose this article because I believe that having a robot to help is great, but having an android that blinks and recreates the physical features of a human is fascinating.

Questions:

• If we keep on making androids, will we start becoming dependent on technology and robots?
• Even though robots may help us, isn't it possible that they may harm us in the long run? Letting children be raised by robots rather than their own parents, especially when they are younger, may make the children replace the android as the "parental figure".
  

Resources:

• Information:

1. CNN Network. "She's A Robot? Japan's Latest Creation." West Palm Beach News and
   Forecast. CNN Network, 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.

• Images:

1. http://www.wpbf.com/image/25388586/detail.html
2. http://www.odt.co.nz/files/imagecache/200x200_scaled_cropped/story/2009/03/a_cybernetic_human_hrp_4c_designed_to_look_like_an_5327023114.jpg

CSB #1 Being a Vegetarian Can Save You as Well as the Environment

Definitions:
Vegan: a person who does not eat, use, or wear any animal products

Diabetes: an irregularity of the metabolism that makes you extremely thirsty and produce large amounts of urine

LDL Cholesterol: (Low-density lipoprotein) "Bad" cholesterol that can build up in your arteries and prevent oxygenized blood from reaching the heart.
Summary:
Studies show the fact that eating meat and other animal products can highly increase your chance of high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Animal products are high in fat, and too much fat in the diet are linked to these problems along with many more.
Fruits and vegetables are lower in fat, so a vegetarian or vegan diet lowers your risk.
Soy products and dark green, leafy vegetables, are the main source of fiber and other nutrients that are thought to actively prevent these diseases.
Studies also show that on average, vegetarians live longer than those who eat meat.
Discussion:
I think this article is important for people that have risks of high cholesterol, diabetes, or people looking towards a new lifestyle.

Also being a vegetarian or a vegan, can help people balance their diet.

Being a vegetarian myself it takes dedication, resisting marshmallows, jello, and even meat.

Question:

If people know its good for them and will help them throughout life, then why don't we all go vegetarian?
Resources:
Johanson, Paula. "Vegetarianism and Veganism." Teen Health and Wellness. Rosen, 2010. Web. 16 Sep. 2010..

Image: http://www.naturalnews.com/cartoons/cows_vegetarians_600.jpg