EAT LESS LIVE LONGER

Skinny or obese that’s the question here!

Interesting news crossed the world the other day. Scientists discovered that the intake of calories governs our life or to be precise our lifespan. How and why? Well, the fact that calorie restriction noticeably extends lifespan was discovered long time ago, in the 1930. What bothered them is what is at the root of this unusual effect. Now, in nematode worms a so called ph4 gene has been determined, which is the explanation for the longevity boosted by severe calorie restriction.

Is this ph4 gene a real find? Of course, you will be able to live longer (as if this were nothing). Scientists hope that in the future “drugs that mimic the consequences of calorie restriction but negate the need for severe fasting regimes” could be produced. Moreover, the effect of dietary restriction could be beneficial in times of food shortage.

As mentioned, the study was carried out on nematode worms and it is not jet sure whether the longevity link can be applied on mammals, humans. In comparison to worms, human’s metabolism is far more complex. But one is for sure; if you overindulge, you will succumb to obesity and eventually die, and if you starve (reduce food too much), you will die too. We have to find the “sweet” middle. Honestly, we are all too often prone to eating when not hungry.

Will we become centenarians? As it seems, yes. Human lifespan has already doubled over the last century, and due to the advances in medicine and genetic science, prolonged existence is to be expected once geneticists unlock the key to the ageing gene. And I ask myself: will this elongated lifespan have an effect on the society, on our way of life? Not that it WILL, it has by now. The age of retirement is already 65 and this might be consigned to the history books. Instead, we may hang up our boots at the age 85. Modern economies will for sure not be able to support the increasingly numerous retirees.

Read the news under: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6612411.stm

The world's only known case of "semi-identical" twins

Read under: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/heaalth/6498215.stm
After reading the article, I was curious to find more information about the twins, since I wasn’t satisfied with the info provided. On the internet I found a kind of essay about twins. To be precise, about “What makes twins biologically and psychologically alike and what are the causes of any differences in a pair of twins?” I’ll sum it up briefly and if you want to read it yourself, follow the link:
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web3/hayesconroya3.html


There are several types of twins:

1. fraternal or dizygotic twins – if there are two eggs released and both fertilized. The twins can than be male-male, female-female or female-male


2. identical or monozygotic – when a fertilized egg splits. The twins can then be either female-female or male-male. What struck me as fascinating is the phenomenon of so called mirror imaging. If the morula (the fertilized egg) splits between day 10-13, the twins can be mirror images of each other. One can be left-handed while the other right-handed or they can even have birthmarks on the same part of the body, the one on the left and the other on the right.
   Siamese twins (named after famous twins from Siam – joined at the breastbone) are also monozygotic and are the result of the “too late” splitting up (after day 13), which is why the division is not successful.


3. other types.

Aren’t all these “phenomena” fascinating? I wanted to find more info about twins on a genetic level (from morula to fetus, from fetus to I don’t know what), but unfortunately I ran out of time. Maybe some other time. I’ll be back!!

I’ve found it! The theory of semi-identical twins:

Bush on his tour in Latin America

This week president Bush was on his tour in Latin America. In most of the countries his visit was met by severe protests against the Iraq war rather than President Bush's policies on Latin America. He has namely promised to work hard to achieve a more sensitive immigration policy but has yet to live up to it. The visit is regarded as symbolic rather than a step forward in the relation between Latin America and USA.
I listened to this news on the radio FM4 and what I generally loathe about politics and politicians is that they always pledge better days or whatsoever but never keep to their promises. Politics is a bitch, that’s obviously true. However, do they (the politicians) really think that we are dim-witted? It all reminds me of a politician in Croatia who during her campaign expressed regret for people in Shri Lanka (when it was hit by a tsunami, Dec 2004). Deeply touched though she was, she didn’t think of donating some money to those areas suffering the depredation of tsunami.