Microbiology

Prions are misfolded proteins that form inside the body or enter the body from the outside. They alter other proteins and cause serious diseases, including CJD.

Social amoebas are also known as cellular slime molds and dictyostelids. They start life as separate ameboid cells but join to form a multicellular slug when food is scarce. The slug has some very interesting abilities.

Plasmodium vivax is sometimes considered to be a less serious cause of malaria than Plasmodium falciparum. P. vivax can be deadly, however. It becomes dormant in the liver and later becomes active again. The reactivation may cause a relapse, or the return of symptoms.

Immunology is the complex study of the immune system and its associated functions. Immunity is how the body attempts to prevent disease. This article will briefly discuss the types of immunity, vaccines, problems with the immune system, and more.

Planarians are interesting flatworms with an amazing ability to regenerate. Scientists are investigating the capabilities of the animals in the hope of applying their discoveries to human biology.

An amoeba is a one-celled creature with interesting features. Amoeboid organisms live in the environment and in our body. Some are harmless, but others cause disease.

Bacteria in the genus Yersinia have major effects on our lives. One species causes bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. Others cause foodborne illness. One may eventually help to treat cancer.

Acanthamoeba is a microscopic, single-celled organism that can infect the cornea of the eye. It causes a disorder called Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is most common in contact lens users.

Saprolegnia and Phytophthora are important examples of oomycetes or water molds. Some species of Saprolegnia can infect and kill fish. One species of Phytophthora causes late blight in potatoes. This disease was responsible for the devastating nineteenth-century potato famine in Ireland.

Researches have discovered evidence showing that complex life may have first evolved in lakes, rather than in oceans as was previously believed.

This article is an in-depth review of cells. Meant to help high school and college students gain a better understanding of this chapter of biology.

Investigative skills play an important part in learning practical biology. Experiments are important in the scientific method. This article teaches good experimental design for young biologists.

Antibiotics interfere with vital activities in bacteria by various methods. Unfortunately, microbes are becoming resistant to the drugs. Arylomycins may be helpful.

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria that cause disease is a serious problem. Soil contains many bacteria, some of which may help us by making new antibiotics.

Bacteria have some amazing abilities. They can live in extreme habitats, produce light, communicate with each other, and act as predators and magnets.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a bacterium found on skin and mucous membranes. It's often harmless, but some strains have become resistant to antibiotics and are potentially dangerous.