biochemistry

6 Stories

Scent of Tears May Make Men Less Aggressive
Scent of Tears
May Make Men
Less Aggressive
NEW STUDY

Scent of Tears May Make Men Less Aggressive

Study suggests this 'chemosignaling' may be a tool that developed in babies

(Newser) - We all know tears have a tendency to produce empathy, but scientists now believe an evolutionary element is at play: their scent calms us down. Smithsonian Magazine writes that a study in Plos Biology specifically observing male aggression found that an odorless scent in teardrops collected from women prompted the...

Researchers Discover Why Pot Makes You Forget

Scientists identify pathway for cognitive impairment under the effects of cannabis

(Newser) - Scientists have found the area in the mouse brain that marijuana acts upon to cause forgetfulness, AFP reports. Researchers in Barcelona used two groups of mice, each engineered to be missing one of the two concentrations of receptor neurons for cannabis (CB1) in the hippocampus, an area of the brain...

Scientists Build a Better Web—by Adding Metal

(Newser) - Scientists have combined spider silk with metal atoms to boost web strands' already-phenomenal strength, reports Ars Technica. The breakthrough experiment advances the science of creating ever-stronger materials, as well discovering a successful method to bond metal to biological material. Experiments are already under way to make chicken eggs stronger.

Scientists Seek 'Shadow' Life Forms on Earth

(Newser) - "If aliens exist, they may be living right next door..." No, it's not a writer pitching a television pilot, but the premise of a scientific theory called the "shadow biosphere," New Scientist reports. Some astrobiologists say that life forms may have originated on Earth after...

Eat Your Way Out of Addiction: Experts
 Eat Your Way Out 
 of Addiction: Experts 
GLOSSIES

Eat Your Way Out of Addiction: Experts

Foods that help make neurotransmitters may assist treatment

(Newser) - Good grub may be enough to rewire an addict's brain. The trick is to serve up meals that revive pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters disrupted by addiction, neuroscientists say. Foods as simple as steak, milk, and nuts can boost the brain's production of serotonin or glutamine, both of which help addicts recover. But...

Chemistry Nobel Goes to 3 Who Found Glowing Protein

Compound vital to Alzheimer's research

(Newser) - The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded today to three scientists who discovered green fluorescent protein, a compound that allows biochemists to study cellular processes. The glowing protein, first found in jellyfish more than 40 years ago, can be attached to other structures and has been critical in research on...

6 Stories