Newts and Zebrafishes—Oh My!
A little over 100 years ago, scientist were studying fruit flies to learn more about genetics. Since they were easy to capture and breed, scientists were able to study multiple generations in a short period of time. The information that they found lead to the mapping of regions that correspond to the fly’s physical traits. […]
Visual Processing Part One
More than 50 percent of our brain is dedicated to visual processing. Yet there is so much going on. How do our brains process the information that is coming in from our eyes? One research project at Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Munich, University of California Berkeley and Harvard University looked at the retinal […]
On/Off Switches Part Two
In On/Off Switches Part One I wrote about research done at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) that discovered a compound that controls the growth of blood vessels. This can be utilized for conditions ranging from diabetic retinopathy to cancer. They aren’t the only ones doing this type of research. Scientists at Johns Hopkins have […]
Research Identifies Mechanisms for Eye Development
If you want to see want to see clearly what is going on outside while you are inside your home or office, the windows need to be clean. It’s the same thing with your eyes. Specifically, the lens has to be free of obstruction. Yet unlike most cells, the cells that make up the lens […]
Zebrafish Hold the Key to Vision Restoration
When you get a paper cut, after about two weeks the skin repairs itself and you can’t see where the cut was located. If something similar should happen to your retina, you’re out of luck. Unlike skin cells, the cells of the retina don’t regenerate. So, if it is damaged in any way, the cells […]