Biology Department

The more friends on Facebook, the bigger the brain?

2012-02-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

Social butterflies boosting of a multitude of friends on Facebook may be flattered in case they believe what this tidbit suggests. In an interesting study by experts from the University College London, a direct correlation between number of Facebook friends and size of specific areas of the brain has been disclosed.
However, the relationship is not causal, the team says. It cannot be affirmed if larger brain portions could be attributed to many friends on Facebook. The report also states that more friends a person has on Facebook, greater could be the number of friends in reality.The study involved analysis of 125 university students who were actively engaged in Facebook. A comparison was drawn between a person’s online friends and real world friends. The investigators found that more number of friends a person had on Facebook, the higher appeared to be the proportion of grey matter in the brain.
The regions of the brain that showed the effect were namely the right superior temporal sulcus , the left middle temporal gyrus ,the right entorhinal cortex and the amygdala that had a link with web networks and not real-world groups. These locations of the brain are associated with processing, memory and emotional responses.

The analysis is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Human Body Exhibition

2012-02-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

THE EDUCATIONAL value of a controversial exhibition featuring dead people whose personal origins are unknown outweighs concerns about the derivation of the bodies, according to its educational director.
Cheryl Muré, speaking in advance of the opening of the Human Body Exhibition this week, said people “should follow their own beliefs” when considering whether to visit it. She had no qualms about possible ethical issues.

“I do not. All the bodies have been legally donated and the education value of this exhibition is totally undeniable. That is what speaks to me.”

It opens in Dublin on Thursday, and will travel around Europe later in the year.

Featuring dramatic, detailed exhibits of full bodies, their flesh peeled back and muscles separated out from the bone to show internal organs, the spinal column, nerves and various systems, it is in turn breathtaking, fearsome and quite beautiful. The level of anatomical detail retained in the “plastination” process is undeniably impressive.

Questions have, however, been raised about how freely the bodies were donated, and the lack of knowledge about the individuals involved. Ms Muré says all bodies were provided to the Hoffen biotechnique laboratory at the Medical University of Dalian in northeast China, by the city morgue.

In a statement provided to HK Exhibitions, the Florida-based company running the exhibition, Dr Hong Jin Sui, professor of anatomy at the university, says the department “only accepts specimens that have been legally donated, are free of infectious disease and certified to have died of natural causes”. All fluids were removed from the bodies and a silicon polymer injected which “plastinated” them.

As well as full human bodies – some of which have been sawn their full length into three and five slices, revealing the internal make-up of organs and bones – there are full male and female reproductive systems from the outside in, digestive systems and respiratory systems with healthy smooth, pale grey lungs shown alongside cancerous, black scarred lungs.

A section showing capillaries and veins is, in Ms Muré’s words, “quite beautiful, like works of art”.

“The mission is to show the complexity and beauty of our bodies. It’s something that students in anatomy departments have been able to view for centuries. The idea is to bring that to the public,” said Ms Muré.

Source: The Irish Times

All-White Blackbird

2012-02-02T04:04:00.000-08:00

A rare, all-white blackbird has been spotted in a Dublin garden.
Robin Cannon from Ballinteer, who photographed the bird on Tuesday, said the bird had been a regular visitor to his back garden
Mr Cannon said he appeared "most mornings for the past three or four months".
BirdWatch Ireland, which has seen the photographs, described the bird as "very unusual".
It says the blackbird could be either an albino or leucistic, which is a genetic mutation that prevents pigments from being deposited normally in its feathers.
Leucistic birds can appear all white but retain normal coloured eyes, unlike true albinos whose eyes are pink.
Blackbirds are one of Ireland's most widespread garden birds.
The male's all black plumage and bright yellow bill is unmistakable, however females are much browner.
Completely white individuals seldom survive, as they are more conspicuous to predators.
Source: RTE News

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