Changes in the concentration of calcium within the sperm control how fast these cells beat their tails to navigate towards the egg, their final destination. And these changes in calcium levels occur precisely when the eggs release certain substances. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, with the participation of the Spanish researcher Luis Álvarez, have just shown that during this process sperm perform very complex mathematical calculations.
A study published recently in the Journal of Consumer Research revealed that when people feel sad they prefer to hug a teddy bear than to look at a beautiful piece of art or a sunset, regardless of their age. Behind this preference, according to Chris Janiszewski, from the University of Florida (USA), there is an "animal instinct" that we share with other mammals.
Each generation has its own James Dean, that is, the rebellious character who refuses to follow the path set by his peers. Now, a new study published in the journal Current Biology has found a relationship between the amount of gray matter in a specific region of the brain and the level of rebellion or conformity of an individual.
What did the first "plant" on Earth look like, capable of photosynthesis, that is, of producing sugar and oxygen using sunlight? Dana Price and her colleagues at Rutgers University have solved the mystery. As published in the journal Science, and echoed by the Sinc Agency, around 1,600 million years ago a protist microorganism captured a prokaryotic cyanobacterium. From this process, known as primary endosymbiosis, the plastid arose, a cellular organelle where photosynthesis takes place and which today is present in plants and algae. In their article, the researchers provide evidence describing how all plastids could descend from a single primary endosymbiosis process.
A team of American biologists has shown that the genetic and morphological traits of species are determined both by natural selection and by a phenomenon called the founder effect, which occurs when species colonize new territories. The research has been published in the journal 'Science'.
Goodbye to condoms. From now on, the ability of ultrasound applied to the testicles to stop sperm production could replace the rest of contraceptive methods in men, according to a study published in the journal 'Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology'.
A few drops of ethanol, the substance in alcoholic beverages, can double the life expectancy of the small worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the most widely used animal model in aging studies, according to a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles published in PLoS ONE magazine.
As a study by the Pennsylvania State University (USA) published in the journal 'Biology Letters' has just revealed, boas constrictors ('Boa constrictors') calculate the exact time they must oppress their victims and the pressure they must exert because they have mechanisms to feel their physical signals. And they stop squeezing exactly the moment the prey's heartbeat stops.
Danni Büchner is invited to Sam Dylan's Halloween party. But the "Goodbye Germany" emigrant has no desire for many other party guests. And find clear words.
