Genes Determine Leaf Architecture, According to a New Study
The three-dimensional organization of the plant body is referred to as plant architecture. Above-ground plant parts include the branching pattern, as well as the size,…
Biology
Whiteflies Use the Stolen Genes to Degrade Common Toxins Plants Use to Defend Themselves Against Insects
Aphid-like insects called whiteflies absorbed a part of plant DNA into their genome millions of years ago. Whiteflies utilize this stolen gene to break down…
A New Fossil Elucidates How Dinosaurs Breathed throughout their Existence
Scientists have discovered how ornithischians, a type of plant-eating dinosaur, evolved a body structure that was significantly different from that of other dinosaurs. An international…
Biodiversity Loss Threatens Vital Biological Processes in Streams
The rapid decline and extinction of many species of detritivores (organisms that break down and remove dead plant and animal matter) may have dire consequences,…
A Disease that Affects Corals has Molecular Origins
Scuba divers love coral reefs, which are home to some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. The Hawaiian coral reefs, known as the “rainforests of…
The Marine Life Suffers from a Lack of Oxygen
In September of 2017, marine biologists were conducting an experiment off the Caribbean coast of Panama in Bocas del Toro. They snorkeled down after sitting…
Microbiome Bacteria Adapt to People via Transfer, According to Researchers
Beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome use various methods to spread from person to person, which affects their abundance in the gut and the functions…
In Bacteria, a New Approach Paves the Way for Efficient Genome Writing
MIT biological engineers have developed a new method for editing bacterial genomes and programming memories into bacterial cells by rewriting their DNA. Using this method,…
A Study Discovered Tufted Titmice Birds Steal Hair from Living Mammals
A new study reveals an unusual behavior among tufted titmice and their bird relatives. A bird will land on an unwary mammal and carefully and…
Biological Invasions are Reducing Bird and Mammal Diversity
Biological invasions are a major contributor to biodiversity loss. They have the potential to reduce the diversity of ecological strategies – the ways in which…
Sticky Toepads Allow Arboreal Lizards to Interact with Trees
Biologists analyzed data from 2,600 lizard species worldwide and discovered that, while hundreds of different types of lizards evolved arboreal lifestyles independently, species with sticky…
The Growth of Fungus in Plants is Inhibited by Modified Yeast
Engineers and plant pathologists have created a method for engineering a protein that prevents fungi from breaking down cell walls, as well as a method…
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