Monday, March 3, 2008
A small striped fish

Pardon me while I continue hacking up a lung. This never ending cold just seems to enjoy lingering in my bronchial tubes.

I'll tell you what we're not going to talk about today. We won't be discussing the latest study regarding increased levels of allergens in your home and how they may be linked to asthma. Because if you seriously don't see a connection there and needed a study to tell you then you are far beyond my reach anyway.

Instead I would like to discuss the importance of zebrafish. There is a the faint line running down each side of the fish that enables it to sense its surroundings. "The fish's lateral line contains sensory cells that are functionally similar to those found in the inner ear, except these are on the surface of the fish's body, making them more easily accessible," said James F. Battey, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., director of the NIDCD. "This means that scientists can very efficiently analyze the sensory structures under different conditions to find out what is likely to cause damage to these structures and, conversely, what can protect them from damage."

Who knew studying these striped fish could help to understand hearing in humans. Oh what a world, what a world. I'm not saying I feel we should kill all these fish or anything, but I do think the study is beneficial. Does that make me cruel? I mean these fish reproduce in high numbers and are not lacking.

I think the study is very interesting. Intuitively I knew fish could sense things, but I wasn't aware of the lateral line and it is fascinating. I think a lot of studies could be done with those particular cells. I'm looking forward to hearing more about this in the future.

SOURCE

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8:02 AM
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