Identify this animal

Identify which animal is this : ?

Send your answers in comments.

Semester system in D.U

There is a big drama going over bringing Smester system to undergraduate classess in D.U . The people are divided into two groups.
1
Those who favour.
2
Those who oppose.

Already dharnas, slogans shouting, and never ending discussions have started at various levels.

Well whatever the reults, the victims as always would be - the students!
Either way.
..

Ghrelin : hormone which makes us eat more

why do we want to eat that yummy dessert even when we feel full with our lunch.

the researchers have found the answer and it it the hormone called : Ghrelin.
Ghrelin is produced mainly by P/D1 cells lining the fundus of the human stomach and epsilon cells of the pancreas.

The discovery may help in treating the condition called Anorexia nervosa. Which is a kind of eating disorder and the victim has obsessive fear of gaining weight.

The research has been published in Biological Psychiatry journal.

..

Formation of memories at cellular level

Memory encoding:
When we learn new things new synapses are formed between neurons. To make it a memory these synapses has to be strengthened. This is according to a new research done by synthesizing new proteins.
Two of these proteins are: CaM Kinase and Lypla
Those proteins build the synapse and make it stronger.

Regulation of CaM Kinase and Lypla:
In normal conditions the RNA synthesizing CaM Kinase and Lypla is kept turned off by wrapping complex (proteins + micro RNA) which wraps around the RNA to do so.
When a new signal comes this wrapping complex is degraded. The RNA then becomes free and synthesizes new proteins i.e CaM Kinase and Lypla.

So degradation and synthesis of proteins go hand in hand during memory encoding. Interesting enough.

This study has been reported in Neuron journal.

..

What causes dental cavities?

In a very interesting study researchers have done the genome sequencing of cavity-causing bacterium Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1.

This bacteria lives in the gut and is supposedly beneficial there. It is also used in probiotic foods. However some strains are harmful as mentioned above and cause tooth decay.


The genetics studies have revealed the various adaptations of this bacteria which helps it to survive under everchanging conditions in oral cavity.

The study has been published in PLOS journal.

Nexus 2009 - At Venki

Well the three days fest is now over. I could not write for I was so busy in so many and amazing events.
There were a variety of events and students took their time to show their creative self. Many of my students mesmerized us with their skills.

Now the next event is house exams. I wish students all the very best. May they perform all the very well!

The assignment drama

If I have to point out one big time waster in entire course of study it would be - THE ASSIGNMENTS.

Teachers give assignments to students. Students go to the net. Copy and paste or read and write and hand over to the teachers.

Neither there is originality, research or brain involved. Nor do students know what they have written. For they have so many assignments to submit. They really don't have time.

WHAT'S the gain: Teachers check the copied material or material written for the sake of writing, mark them and gave it back.

There is no learning or knowledge synthesis in the entire process. There is no actual assessment of grasping power or analytical skills of students.

And the material written can't be given in examination by students far its so ellaborative and obtained from plethora of sites.

The time spent in making assignments can be invested by the student in making records or studying things which are of far more importance.

In short, the education system has so many short comings.

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Blog:http://college-revisited.blogspot.com/

Cricket mania

As I wrote yesterday, today Life science's team registered an exciting win against ..... (who?)

So they reached in semi final which will be played next year only.

Today is the last working day in view of NEXUS 2009 which is starting on Monday 21st December to 23rd December.

Cricket mania in college.

1

Well today a few quarter final matches of Cricket were played.

Two teams one of Botany students and other of Life sciences were of particular interest since in both some of my students were playing. And there was a lot of buzz from them.

Yesterday, Botany got a big win against Political science but today they could not. Just like life.

There are actually no defeats - only experiences which are learned by making mistakes.
So its pretty normal.

The rest of the students of Botany second years were having practical with me. They wanted to go to cheer for their mates. So we did mounting of placoid scales which took only 45 minutes perhaps and then i let them go.

After the match they were sad looking.

As i said above - This is life.
My empathies!

2

Tomorrow Life science's team will play.

I wish them all the luck.

Todays topic - WARM DECEMBER

There were days when in December we could see Fog and Mist all over. It was called chilly December.

Now are the days when we find December a very cool and pleasant month. As cool as spring.
So is this pleasantness a foreshadow of some serious danger forthcoming in our way!

Catastrophe of 2012 may or may not be true. But can't it happen sooner or later?

The comparatively WARM December is an indication.

COP 15 - 15th conference of parties

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COP15

The Copenhagen summit is not going anywhere. Human has become so materialistic that even in front of danger he wants to close his eyes.


Its time now that youngsters should wake up and do something at various levels: scientific, social and economic as well. There is a need of revolution.

learning by writing: Adding fourth dimension

There are three kind of learners ignoring the fact that everyone had a threhhold level of all three but varying in certain points. These are:

1
Visual
Those who can grasp and remember more and better if they saw the things related to the topic being discussed.
they prefer diagrams and graphics mor than oral lecturing.

2
Audio
Those who can grasp and remember more and better if they hear things related to the topic being discussed.
they prefer oral lecturing.

3
Both.
They prfer both hearing and seeing

Now what is the fourth type. Here it goes.

4
Users of prefrontal cortex.
When one is writing he or she is using this part of brain. Since it is akind of activity rather than mere analysis, new synaptic connections are being formed and thus the individual is helped more.

this can be a tip to students who want to INCREASE their learning during lectures.
And you can prevent SLEEP also.

So next time in your class : WRITE.

Your suggestions

Kindly suggest what topic will you like me to write upon.

Also do write your comments also. It will help me to keep blogging.

kind regards.

Next blog

Next blogs will be on STUDY TECHNIQUES. in view of forthcoming examination.

So keep looking.
and
Happy reading.

NEXUS at venky

The annual fest at Venky - the NEXUS will begin on 21st december and will continue till 23rd.

So far sitting in the laboratory I have heard all the rock music coming from various colleges here at North campus - Miranda house, SRCC and Hindu etc. So the concluding remark of all these fests will be at Venky. Lots of arrangements have already begin and students are quite enthusiastic about it.

The only fear is that college becomes like a pressure cooker during this event. The hormone driven teen aged crowd from various colleges mixed with rock music looks overwhelming.

The rude police tries its best still scandel could not have been prevented last year. Hopefully everything will be nice this year.

So looking forward to the exciting event with which the second term will come to an end and mood for the examination will be all set.

Copenhagen summit on climate change

Well this summit is not coming to any conclusion.
Anyways I have to take the topic of Global climate change this tuesday - hopefully my students turn up. I have no idea whether they are following this meeting seriously. Since its an contemorary issue it may be asked in their house exams as well.

Dissecting out the disection

Recently researchers have reported that many species of frog are becoming extinct and some already have. So this is a serious warning and something is needed to be done. Here I find it interesting that how colleges can be a hand behind this phenomenon.

On an average there are 11128 colleges in India. In all of these there exists Department of Zoology. And in the study course there are always various dissections invoving frog. As a rough estimate 1000 frogs are ordered each year per college which gets subsequently killed. So 11128 colleges will be ordering approx 11128000 ( nearly 1 crores or 11 millions) frogs which is a big number.
The policy makers should thus rethink about stopping the dissection of this harmless animal and saving it from extinction.