THE PUZZLE OF THE LIZARDS WITH GREEN BLOOD, BONES AND TONGUE: WHAT MAKES THEM THAT WAY.

 

There is a type of skink, called Prashinohaema, which lives in one island of New Guinea, that has green blood, bones and tongue, and even tissue.  

But no one knows why.  Scientists are trying to figure out why this lizard has such peculiar features. 

A Louisiana State Univ. scientist, Prof. Austin, began to solve just that riddle in 1969.  The skinks are particular to the island of New Guinea.   The island is somewhat far from others and may have provoked a genetic singularity, much like other land masses that are far away from others.   Or maybe the feature is simply adaptive to an external factor present in the island.  In other words, it is an evolutionary change and not just a selective one present from the beginning of the existence of that species.

As he began studying the lizards, prof. Austin discovered that the lizards had a much higher than normal concentration of biliverdin, which like bilirubin is a bile pigment, that made all fluids and most tissues, green. 

 

 

In humans, both bilirubin and biliverdin are present as a byproduct of the hepatic breakdown of hemoglobin after its life span ends.  But in humans such pigments leave the body through the intestines, and are present in minute quantities.  

What makes the mystery even more extraordinary is that biliverdin in high concentrations in the blood is extremely toxic.  In humans they are responsible for jaundice, which can in some cases lead to death.  

What the scientist thinks, is that the biliverdin became tolerated by this species as a means to ward off a deadly parasite called Plasmodium.  This parasite is what causes malaria in humans. Malaria affects birds and reptiles alike, since the last two have the same genetic root.  The biliverdin then, inhibits Plasmodium infections.  

By comparing Prasinohaema skinks to a closely related lizard, which has red blood, the scientist will next try to understand the genomial difference between the two.  

Source : nat Geo/ 10.1.13

 

FASHION MODELS' NEW STANDARDS ARE CREATING NEW FADS THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO TEENS' HEALTH.

 

Much discussion through the decades has been made of fashion's unrealistic body standards.

For a while in the 90s a movement for more realistic figures emerged, only to be quickly quashed in the new millennium.  

Lately however, the thinness of models is alarming. They are becoming taller and gaunter, and more exotic.

But while some of these amazons are naturally thin, most are not, and the abuses of the model world are well know, and they include smoking, starving and drugging to keep that unrealistic physique.

That however, is not dissuading teens from trying to look like today's runway models.  

The term for this new fad, is 'thigh gap'.  A thigh gap is a gap between the thighs caused by extreme thinness or a peculiar anatomy.  

To achieve such a structure, in people who are not naturally thin or extremely longilineous, is to court disaster.  

In fact, to be able to have this 'gap', women would have to starve themselves to the brink of starvation or death.

Reminiscent of the anorexia craze of the late 70s and 80s, which was highlighted by the death of famous singer Karen Carpenter, this new social trend could be even worse than the last.  Better awareness of the disease seemed to have curbed its allure back then, but now the social impact of several, simultaneous social sites and avenues is a powerful block to the social programs that try to curb eating disorders. 

Now, however, that all seems buried in the past.  Teens are again becoming concerned with obtaining figures that are just not possible anatomically or biologically.  The problem seems  to coincide with a lack of self esteem, or peer pressure. Either way, teens are again becoming obsessed with looking like models who in turn are becoming more and more distant from the norm. 

In addition to 'thigh gap' fads, a new disturbing trend is that of people who are simply starving to death on a social media, with people egging them on to keep going.  

'Thigh gap' however, is mostly a product of genetics. A peculiar bone structure and extreme thinness combine to produce the effect.  Most people however, do not possess this bone structure and trying to look like the models who do have this feature can have disastrous consequences. 

Social media, in effect, has brought home a new host of problems when it comes to eating disorders.  There is much more awareness and at an earlier age, or the 'idealized' female form, as can be seen in ads or on media sites that cater to celebrities.  

What ensues then, for those girls who cannot achieve the 'perfect form', is extreme self hatred and at times depression, which can lead to emotional disturbances and even suicide. 

The constant hammering of media, which portray celebrities as both talented and sexually engaged, is causing the greater self awareness in young women.  The girls want to be like celebrities and are becoming increasingly concerned that the only way to succeed or be liked, is to look like those idols they cherish.  

In a world where image is becoming increasingly a factor in how one's status or fate is decided, there is little incentive for these girls to stop this behavior.  In fact it is reaffirmed every day, as fat people often are socially blocked or slowed down from achieving what others are readily offered.  In a sense then, fatness becoming a self fullfilling prophecy, one that young girls are all too aware of. 

There is some pushback, and with it, some hope: some sites are cropping up that ridicule the 'thigh gap' fad, and do so successfully.  But in total, this trend could signify a return to the dark days of the seventies and eighties.

Partial Source : France 24/ 10.1.13