Oxygen-sensing genes allow cells to adapt when oxygen levels drop. The 2019 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to three scientists “for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.” The 9 million Swedish krona (more than $900,000) prize is shared equally between William Kaelin from the Dana-Farber Cancer […]
Physiology
Eyeless cave shrimp senses light and can live frozen in ice
Deep in the ice caves of the Shawangunk Ridge in New York state lives a tiny crustacean with unique abilities. Despite being eyeless, it can still detect some wavelengths of visible light. And it has no problem with being frozen solid during the frigid winters. Read more in New Scientist.
Discovery of organ explains koalas’ super-bass notes
Throat structure explains why male mating calls are bizarrely deeper than expected for the animal’s size. For such diminutive animals, male koalas have an uncannily deep voice. The pitch of their bellowing mating call is 20 times lower than would be anticipated for their size, and more like something you would hear from an elephant, […]