The branching program of mouse lung development

kavin submitted, created time 6 months 2 weeks (www.nature.com)

Mammalian lungs are branched networks containing thousands to millions of airways arrayed in intricate patterns that are crucial for respiration. The paper presents the complete three-dimensional branching pattern and lineage of the mouse bronchial tree, reconstructed from an analysis of hundreds of developmental intermediates. It also proposes that each mode of branching is controlled by a genetically encoded subroutine, a series of local patterning and morphogenesis operations.

3 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: lung development developmental patterns mammals lungs

Web Extra: First Frog without Lungs

jiangyun submitted, created time 7 months 1 week (www.sciencenews.org)

Maybe it's incredible. Looks like a frog. Swims like a frog. But doesn't croak. A flattened, brown, aquatic species from Borneo has just become the only frog shown to have no lungs.

4 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: lungs Barbourula kalimantanensis lungless frog evolution amphibians zoology frogs

Clearing the Air over Asbestos

Popcorn lung :do you believe it?

Terriers Join Fight Against a Killer Disease in Humans

Eric wu submitted, created time 10 months 3 weeks (www.livescience.com)

The West Highland White Terrier, called "Westies," gets a disease very similar to humans' idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which kills as many people as breast cancer. In humans and in dogs, the patient's lungs slowly turn to scar tissue.

However, pedigree dogs' breeding records are very well kept and their disease progresses faster, making them a good model for the disease. Although, understandably, not many dog owners are volunteering their sick dogs for animal testing, it is hard to get them to agree even to donate their dogs' bodies after they die.

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: aging senescence animal testing model organisms dogs lungs pulmonary disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Higher blood flow and circulating NO products offset high-altitude hypoxia among Tibetans

franklin submitted, created time 1 year 3 weeks (www.pnas.org)

The low barometric pressure at high altitude causes lower arterial oxygen content among Tibetan highlanders, who maintain normal levels of oxygen use as indicated by basal and maximal oxygen consumption levels that are consistent with sea level predictions.

2 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: human culture science and culture genetic variants lungs breathing respiration race arterial oxygen blood circulating blood flow hypoxia