Ulna

Thank you, that is very useful.

You're right, i didn't think of the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells - oops.

I find this really interesting, because so often in our pill popping culture we lack these simple, effective and low cost techniques. In fact recently i was visiting a relative in hospital who had been extremely dehydrated, prior to her admission the family had called me for advice (Not because i'm a doctor, but i have a small amount of medical knowledge and the actual doctor was four hours late.) Because there had been vomiting and squits, i said pinch her skin and see how long it takes to go back to normal, it took about thirty seconds and i said call an ambulance as the doctor has been ages and with a 74 year old woman don't take any chances when she's dehydrated etc. Anyway at the hospital I asked if they used the skin pinch test and they actually didn't know what i was talking about. I was shocked, technology is brilliant, but i think it is really important to know basic techniques like that, because sometimes technology doesn't work, or if there was some crisis and the hospitals were inundated... well i can imagine scenario's where it would be useful anyway. But i think we should have more of this stuff, sounds like your friend with the bad knee was saved a lot of pain and no expensive pain killers.

When considering this question I found thinking about man as a species didn't get me anywhere. The answer is the result of a sum containing many variables, so i decided to consider the variables. How might our planet change? The weather systems, environment etc. What global events might occur? Like pandemic disease (In humans or maybe food animals), an unexpected change in food chains and so on. I haven't come up with an answer yet, but these are the things likely to shape us and change us. What made me think of it was a recent programme, the short of it is: Big meteorite, end of the dinosaurs and mammals went underground (or maybe lived there anyway) and had the advantage so it became the predominant species, the line eventually leading to us. Without that event who knows what may have occured. So what may happen in the future that will cause us to adapt if we are to survive and what adaptions will lead to the greatest survival. What does anyone think about that?

I have heard of this in cancer cells, it is one of the properties that confers such longevity to them. I googled "The role of telomerase in cancer" and came up with this among others http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10362013 The subject is fascinating, let us know anything really interesting you find out.

Thanks for some fantastic replies. That doesn't mean stop pondering, I find this subject fascinating and i'd love to hear more of your thoughts, any web links, books or current research on the topic, would of course be hugely appreciated. And is it too early to wish everyone a happy (Or even messy) Christmas? :-)

Isn't the answer: Find out what you WANT to do most and then do that, not hearing back from a university can be discouraging but if you want it chase it up, find out what they want and give it to them. (if only it was so simple.) CharonY how did you go about your qualifications? I'm curious because I have often thought of doing a PhD is it worth the work?

I'm doing a BMS too, of course I had to do it the hard way :doh:and I'm hoping to do a fast track medical degree afterwards. In the UK there are three types if BMS and it's a really useful degree to have. The first is just a standard biomedical science degree, one approved by the IBMS (Institute of biomedical sciences) and the coterminus degree. If you want to get accredited and register with the health professions council (Which you will have to do if you want to practice as a BMS and its worth having anyway) then do the coterminus or one approved by the IBMS I would say if you want to get into neurology the BMS is a good start. Because neuroscience is a compulsory module in the accredited and coterminus degree, plus you have to have two years lab training (included in the coterminus), which gives you a good basis for lab techniques and experience. Also you don't get the same medical training in a standard biology degree. I think you've chosen a degree that will prepare you well for what you want to do next. Once you've finished your BSc you can do a Masters, taught masters or a PhD. YOu have plenty of time to research what institute you want to study at next and the requirments and if you are considering a PhD you need to consider funding etc. But you should learn plenty about all that while you are doing your BSc. GOOD LUCK!!

You can provide it with nutrients etc in a petri dish and it would survive for an amount of time. Not indefinately though. Some cancer cells have such incredible regenerative properties they are almost immortal. The thing with human cells is they have become specialized, enhancing the abilities of the organism as a whole, but losing thier independace, for example a muscle cell relys on blood cells to bring glucose (one example) and take away waste products. So in a dish yes and on its own no.

I have a question. Say someone has bacterial leprosy (Not tuberculoid) with lesions etc a proper infestation and phage therapy is used. Well lots of bacteria will surely increase the phage population and the bacterial population starts to decrease, is there a chance that phage may mutate to infect human tissues, due to the decreasing numbers of bacteria they can infect?

I'm preparing for my haematology module and i need good background reading. Can anyone recommend a good book(s), preferably an honours level text book or popular science. I'm looking for broad coverage so i can get a good grounding. Come to that molecular biochemisrty books would be good too. Thanks

That is amazingly cool, glowing pigs, but is it a useful thing to do? I mean is the technology useful or is it just a bit of fun? Whats IIRC i'm seeing it everywhere in these forums, it looks familiar like a molecular biology term but i can't find any of my molecular biology text books.

Birds have especially adapted bones so they are very light and i believe for humans to fly, we would need some daft sized breast bone. I'm sure we would need huge changes, so big that the resultant being might not be technically human anymore. But i'd love to have wings, so if you find a way to do it let me know, no more traffic jams! Perhaps looking more at the ways birds are adapted to be able to fly, would answer some of your questions. It is fun to wonder though