Zachary Tyndall 9a
Mr. Youell
Science
1/22/2016
Top Science Stories of 2015
1. Water on Mars
2. Tree of Life
3. Ebola cure
2015 was a year full of news, some tragic ones but also some good ones. For science, 2015 was a very good year ("Top Stories of 2015: Pluto, Gene Editing, a New Hominid and More."Science News. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.). There were many great breakthroughs in science such as the discovery of water on Mars, the reshaping of the tree of life, the cure for Ebola... Many people don't realise this, but this discovery has helped scientists understand our human race better.
Water on Mars
From the articles in Science news and NASA, I have seen that there are some hydrated salt minerals on Mars. This is the most detailed evidence yet that water flows on the planet’s surface today. Using an imaging spectrometer on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) , researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on the Red Planet. These darkish streaks appear to ebb and flow over time. They darken and appear to flow down steep slopes during warm seasons, and then fade in cooler seasons. They appear in several locations on Mars when temperatures are above minus 23 degrees Celsius, and disappear at colder times. This discovery may be the proof that there has been or could be life on mars. The search for water has taken more than 15 years to prove that there is liquid on Mars. This discovery brings up the ideas that there once may have been a lot of seas and oceans on Mars. Since 2012 a curiosity rover (seen in fig 1) which you can see in the picture below, has been roaming around Mars. Nitrogen, which is used to create molecules such as protein or DNA on Earth, has been also found on Mars. This all indicates that life on Mars may be possible in the future which might save our race if Earth is destroyed by global warming.
Fig 1-A curiosity rover which has been roaming around Mars since 2012
Tree of life
Tree of life
Microbes which have been discovered in Arctic mud may be the closest relatives yet found to the single-celled ancestor which had swallowed a bacterium and made life so elaborate. Biologists ("Year in Review: Microbe Discoveries Spur Rethink of Treetop of Life."Science News. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2016.) have proposed that this swallowing event, which has happened about 1.8 billion years ago, led to complex cells with membrane-wrapped organelles, the trademark of all eukaryotes from amoebas to horses. Biologists have discovered a new phylum of microbes which are called Lokiarchaeota. This was discovered by screening DNA from sediment, naturally appearing material that is broken by the action of wind, water, or ice. Although no one has found an actual cell yet, the new phylum has similar genes to those to those in modern eukaryote. This discovery has reshaped the old multicellular-biased tree of life. Old textbooks had drawn a eukaryote tree top that branched into three kingdoms of mostly multicellular organisms plants, animals and fungi and one kingdom of single-celled organisms called Protists. Beginning in the late 1980s, new genetic studies relegated the multicelled kingdoms to basic side branches on five to seven much bigger branches of mostly single-celled protists. Nowadays biologists suggest representing this as a ring of life rather than a tree of life (as seen in fig 2) but of course there is more work to do.
Fig 2, we can see the ring of life
Ebola is a viral fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses (fig 3). Symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after the person is affected. Usual symptoms are: sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches. Then, vomiting, diarrhea and rash usually follow, along with the liver and kidneys starting to malfunction. At this point some people begin to bleed both internally and externally. The disease has a high risk of death, killing between 25 and 90 percent of those infected. On average almost every second person dies from Ebola . This is often due to low blood pressure from fluid loss, and typically start to happen five to sixteen days after the symptoms appear.
The start of the development of Ebola vaccines closed in on the finish line this year, as scientists tested two types of vaccines that could be made in use for future outbreaks. Both vaccines target a protein made by Zaire ebolavirus, the virus that haunted and destroyed West Africa in 2014 and the beginning of 2015, killing more than 11,000 people. The epidemic now appears to have stopped spreading and starting to calm down in West Africa, with only a few cases in Liberia.
The first vaccine uses a live, replicating virus to stimulate a response of the immunity system in patients. In August, researchers testing it found very promising results from the biggest Ebola vaccine trial yet to show evidence of protection: a study of 7,651 adults from Guinea. None of the people who were vaccinated immediately after a close contact with Ebola became infected by the virus.
The second vaccine uses a virus that can’t replicate. In November, Myron Levine, a scientist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, and his colleagues demonstrated the vaccine’s safety in a trial that included people from the U.S. and West Africa. A single high dose was enough to make the immune system fight against the virus.
Of course other vaccines are being made, but these are the ones that lead the race and they are pretty close to receiving approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Fig 3, we can see the Ebola virus
In conclusion i picked these three science stories because i find them the most interesting, and because i think they have really changed our thinking. The discovery of water on Mars indicates that there may be life outside of Earth. From the microbes found we learnt the origin of our race, and it has really changed what we believed before. The Ebola vaccines are really important because they can save Africa not only the people who are still in danger, but also the economy because it has really suffered. Africa have lost a lot of money because of the Ebola virus and this can maybe be the start of the renewal of Africa.
In conclusion i picked these three science stories because i find them the most interesting, and because i think they have really changed our thinking. The discovery of water on Mars indicates that there may be life outside of Earth. From the microbes found we learnt the origin of our race, and it has really changed what we believed before. The Ebola vaccines are really important because they can save Africa not only the people who are still in danger, but also the economy because it has really suffered. Africa have lost a lot of money because of the Ebola virus and this can maybe be the start of the renewal of Africa.
Sources: Top stories of 2015: Pluto, gene editing, a new hominid and …
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-confirms-evidence-that-liquid-water-flows-on-today-s-mars
The topics are interesting, but few parts of the document was colored white which was distracting and confusing. He didn't label the pictures according to the instruction.
ReplyDeletei like how structured your stuff is, it would be better if you included more details
ReplyDeleteYour work is amazing! I like your stories and your style of writing!
ReplyDeleteJust change the the color of the text!
Kang
I really liked your work. I really have to congratulate you on your effort. Your stories were very interesting and i liked the way you wrote all these facts.
ReplyDelete