December 31, 2015

Did you know clams can see? Well...not exactly with eyes. Bivalves in general do not have highly evolved sensory organs. However the clam has iridophores decorated on its flesh. These spots have lenses that direct light into the mantle, which allows the clam to detect any shadows overhead and close their shells before a predator can attack.

December 30, 2015

Did you know that there is a kangaroo mouse? They actually exist. The pygmy jerboa is a desert mammal with a tail that can grown longer than the body. During the summer, it digs burrows and creates a hole plug to keep out the hot air. It can't be kept as a pet since the pygmy jeroba is a endangered animal, but you can watch cute videos of it on youtube. ^.^

December 29, 2015

Did you know a skin gun has been developed? Our skin is the largest organ of our body. Extreme injuries, like burns, to it can lead to serious infections. So the SkinGun was made. It uses a patient's own skin cells and sprays them onto the damaged area. Within just days, new skin forms. Although synthetic skin also has been developed, it can take weeks to be completed and is usually fragile. So hooray for the SkinGun!

December 27, 2015

Did you know a moray eel has two sets of jaws? One is for grasping the prey and the another is for pulling it down the throat. Whelp...can't exactly escape from that...

December 26, 2015

Did you know that an octopus has three hearts, nine brains (ok maybe not brains like the way we think of a brain but ganglions), and blue blood? Two of the hearts are branchial hearts, which pump blood through the gills. The third heart is the systemic heart, which pumps blood through the body. There is a central brain and eight ganglions (large bundles of nerve cells). Each ganglion is located at the base of an arm. Their purpose is to control movement. The blue blood is caused by red blood cells using copper instead of iron to bind oxygen molecules. So while mammals use hemoglobin, the octopus uses hemocyanin. (Another example of an animal with blue blood is the horseshoe crab.)

December 25, 2015

Happy Holidays everyone! To celebrate the holidays, the ending of this year, AND the end of finals...I have two facts!

1) Did you know there is a toad who carries eggs IN her back? The female surinam toad carries the fertilized eggs on her back. They fuse into her skin forming little pockets, where the tadpoles then hatch and mature in. When the little guys finally develop into toads, they swim out of their mother's back. Some people find this a little creepy, but I think it's cool.

2)Did you know that newborns aren't bathed as soon as they're born? When a baby is born, there is this white coating called vernix. This layer forms during pregnancy and provides a barrier against the fluids in the uterus. After birth, it acts as antioxidant, skin cleanser, moisturizer, temperature regulator, and safe antimicrobial for the baby. Washing it off not only causing the baby's skin to dry, but it also allows for microorganisms to immediately begin colonizing...and some we don't want.

December 24, 2015

Did you know that Koreans celebrate the Winter Solstice (Dongji) with red bean porridge? Dongji (동지) is a celebration of the longest night of the year. After this day, the hours of daylight will begin to increase. A sign that spring is coming! So they make patjuk(팥죽), which is made of red beans and rice flour dumplings called saealshim (새알심). Oooo! I want to try some!