FLY BRAIN

The brain of the flies works faster than the best of today's computers. It showed a group of scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Germany.  The brain of this insects can process several visually movements in a fraction of a second. A sixth part of a cubic millimeter of flies brain has more than 100,000 neurons, each with a lot of connections with other cells.Usually measures the electrical activity of individual neurons with the help of extremely fine electrodes. But in this case, flies are too small neurons to measure it.There are a particular nerve cells, called L2 cells that receive information from the photoreceptors of the eyes and respond according to increase or decrease the intensity of the light. Based on this "simple" light stimulus, flies are able to calculate in milliseconds which is the direction of movement that occurs around and quickly send of flight control system, to escape at full speed if there a threat near. To examine how the brains of fruit flies process movement, the scientits presented the insects with moving stripe patterns on a light-diode screen.The neurons in the brains of flies are activated in these impulses, causing luminescence would change the indicator molecules.Now we know why it is so difficult to catch the flies.

Bacorde DNA

The classification by "barcode" DNA is a scientific movement that has the purpose to catalog all life on Earth with a simple standardized genetic tag, in a similar way in concept to how the products in stores are labeled with unique barcodes. But this approach, as is currently implemented, leads to some results as uncertain as that of a bar code reader to read the label supermarket a block and accounted for as an orange, a new study Brigham Young University. Following the results of the work, the authors recommend specific procedures for quality control to ensure that the right genes are recorded. It is important to thoroughly check all scientific tool because all have limitations, and some situations are more favorable to apply the "barcode" than others. Organisms can be identified no matter what stage of life they are. For example, the larvae of mosquitoes that carry malaria contain the same DNA as the adult version of the insect to which it is intended erradicar.


But the new study has shown that current techniques can mistakenly record copy "broken" gene present in the nucleus cells of the body. This non-functional copy can be similar enough to that bar code technology to record it, but instead lead to errors. Advocates of "barcode" DNA looking to establish a short genetic sequence as a way to identify species, in addition to traditional methods based on external physical characteristics.

The Ratel

We are going to talk about the Ratel , (Mellivora capensis), also known as honey badger or badger melero, is a species ofcarnivorous mammal it's typical from Afica and India.

Is elongated and robust body. Usually measures about 85 centimeters long and 30centimeters high. An adult male weighs 14 kg, females, meanwhile, do not reach the 9 kg. It has a long head, short legs, toes provided with strong nails well suited fordigging, and a short tail. Their fur is gray on the head, neck, back and tail. The lower parts are nearly black, and between the two areas there is a clear list, almost white.

We talk about the Ratel because it's really strange because he's the unic animal what survive when a viper bite him , Being immune to the bite of the viper makes these unable to defend as the Ratel's favorite food are snakes but can also feed on carrion or other animals.

By Pedro Liz and Martín Goce

Trees un Maths.

Biologists who study ecosystems they want to know the vegetation of a forest or an area, but it is difficult to know with precision the length of the mass of the roots of a plant without put it out.
Until now became more or less precise estimates, but a group of scientists from Cornell University found that there is a fixed proportion between the mass of the leaves of any plant and the mass of their roots. They used a mathematical method called allometry*, and found hundreds of different plants studied
*Allometry: In biology refers to changes in relative size of body parts correlated with changes in the total size.

By Merce y Cris :)

SAN ANDREAS FAULT

The San Andreas Fault is a big and amazing Strike-Slip fault, one of the biggest in the world, is located in the Peninsule of California, it s a passive boundarie, formed by the North-American plate and Pacific plate, the Pacific plate move to the north (with California), and North-American plate move to the south, the friction with each other and the separation of join rocks, forms terrible earthquakes, that plague the area. In the future California will be an island and in 50 millions years it will be in Alaska.
Actually the earthquakes in California are not a problem, because the constructions are earthquake-proof.

The most importants modern earthquakes was:
1857 Fort Tejon earthquake: about 217 miles (349 km) were ruptured in central and southern California.Only two deaths were reported. The magnitude was about 7.9.
1906 San Francisco earthquake: about 267 miles (430 km) were ruptured in Northern California. The epicenter was near San Francisco. At least 3000 people died in the earthquake and subsequent fires. This time the magnitude was estimated to be 7.8.


BY: Marcos and Alex

Biodiversity

Biodiversity mean is the variety of livings things and it includes:
-Variety of species: species are groups of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups. For example: ducks, dogs, parrots, etc.
-Genetic variety: They are the same species, but they are not the same because their genes are diferent, and they are diferents. For example: Caniche, dalmatas, are dogs.
-Variety of ecosistems: Are all lands scapes , tropicals land  scape, mediterranean land scape, rain forest, etc. Each one is different, with its own set of species living in it.

We don't know how many apecies are in the world but we think 15-30 millions. In this moment the earth have got 20,000 species in extinction.

Threats to biodiversity:
Habitat destruction, pollution, species introducctions, explotation, global climate change, changes on land usses.

Ecosystem means is a combination of a physical conditions or enviroment and the organisms living there.The ecosystem services are:
-Provisionning services (food, freshwater, wood fuel, timber, fibre, medicines..)
-Regulating services (climate regulation, flood regulation, erosion control, storm protection...)

-Cultural services

Purify water in just 48 seconds?

There is a new rechargable device that can purify half a litter twice in 48 seconds. It's called 'SteriPen Freedom'. This is rechargeable via USB and allows light through a germicidal kill more than 99.9 percent of bacteria, viruses and protozoans as Giardia that can hold the HO2.
This device, as its name says, liberates to anyone travelling to carry water bottles and a caution that often rises when you have to drink water in places that you don't know.
It is small and easy to carry without taking up much, it also combines all this with the care of the environment because you can recharge via a micro USB port to recharge through a computer, an AC outlet or a solar charger compatible.

The green light used by the device provides 8000 treatments in half liter of water and has a "easy" running.
First, should remove cover of the lamp, sink it in water and remove the 'SteriPen Freedom' for 48 seconds, the user will know when it is safe to drink it.
By: Marta Iglesias