BIOBASICS QUESTION OF THE WEEK

BIOBASICS QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

WHICH LAYER OF SOIL IS RICHEST IN NUTRIENTS?
A. Top soil 
B. Subsoil 
C. Both of these 
D. None of these 

BIOBASICS SOLUTION: Top soil is the richest part of the soil with respect to nutrients because it contains the most humus and this soil is dark brown in colour.

SCIENCE NEWS - Human sperm created from embryonic stem cells

BIOBASICS is glad to offer an all-new and thrilling column called SCIENCE NEWS. This column will feature recent, interesting facts and studies about science in general and Biology in particular. 'HAPPY READING'!!

Human sperm have been created using embryonic stem cells for the first time in a scientific development which will lead researchers to a better understanding of the causes of infertility.

Researchers led by Professor Karim Nayernia at Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) have developed a new technique which has made the creation of human sperm possible in the laboratory.

The work was published on July 2009 in the academic journal Stem Cells and Development.

The NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) is a collaboration between Newcastle and Durham Universities, Newcastle NHS Foundation Trust and other partners.

SCIENCE NEWS - World's first panda cub born from frozen sperm

BIOBASICS is glad to offer an all-new and thrilling column called SCIENCE NEWS. This column will feature recent, interesting facts and studies about science in general and Biology in particular. 'HAPPY READING'!!

China announced the first successful birth of a panda cub from artificial insemination using frozen sperm, officials said today.

The breakthrough gives new hope for the endangered animals, which are notoriously poor breeders. Female panda You You gave birth to the cub yesterday morning at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center, in southwestern Sichuan.

The sperm from male panda Lolo had been frozen for 'a number of years', said Huang.

Artificial insemination is commonly used for breeding pandas, which have very low sex drives.

In 2006, 34 pandas were born through artificial insemination in China and 30 survived - both record numbers for the endangered species.

The technique has also been used at zoos in the United States.

However, using panda sperm that has been frozen earlier - instead of from an immediate donor - had not been successful before.

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