Biology Junction Team - BIOLOGY JUNCTION

8 Lesson Plan Template Resources for Biology Teachers

A lesson plan template can help save time but can also assist with creating an engaging and thought-provoking opportunity for students to learn. Using customizable templates, our list offers up multimedia content resources suitable for all grade levels and biology subjects.

8 Lesson Plan Template Resources for Biology Teachers

Lesson plan templates can help save teachers time and also improve their ability to successfully teach students without the hassle of starting from scratch for every lesson. Teachers around the world have grouped to share content on various platforms, and now students and educators alike can reap the benefits.

Lesson plans are also an excellent way to organize ideas and plan subject matter out in advance without having to memorize lectures or assemble multiple lists of resources. Creating a sound lesson plan complete with links, handouts, and thought-provoking questions can make learning fun, and create time for essential teaching moments.

Effective Use of Lesson Plans

Lesson plans can be a helpful guide for delivering engaging and thought-provoking lessons that help students understand the material and take an interest in the subject matter. A well thought out lesson plan also has the ability to serve as a reference to make sure a lecture stays on track and within a preset time limit.

Using a lesson plan template effectively can be a bit more of a challenge since it is likely that you’ll be working with formatting done by another person who may think differently about how to put together an engaging lesson for students.

However, there are many benefits to using a lesson plan template, including:

Discovering how other educators organize and deliver information
Innovative solutions to common problems
Time savings and efficiency

There’s no shame in managing your own time by using a lesson template, and frequently it can help you assess how reliable or efficient different templates can be in a real-world scenario. Lesson plans also can limit the amount of multi-tasking that you’ll be doing while trying to teach students which can simplify and space out learning opportunities.

Clear lesson plans also include enough time for questions, reflection, and opportunities to encourage in-depth student thinking to enhance learning. Assignments can then be coordinated to be purposeful instead of becoming just busy work that doesn’t reinforce the essentials discussed in class.

8 Lesson Plan Template Resources

There are a number of lesson plan template resources available online for a variety of subjects but finding the right one can be time-consuming. Here’s our list of recommended resources to get you started and connect you with content that is both functional and applicable to biology instruction at all grade levels.

The Teacher’s Guide

The Teacher’s Guide may look a little outdated, but the lesson content provided includes free worksheets, lesson templates, and other planning materials that have been created by other teachers. You can view the material by subject, and grade level recommendations are also listed.

Many of the links go to a webpage that includes other helpful information, diagrams, links, and handouts to help you create a more engaging lesson. These pages can easily be copied into a word document, uploaded to google drive, or used on a laptop as is.

Share My Lesson

Share My Lesson is another excellent website where content is provided by other educators for free, and there are comments and ratings to help you navigate among the material.

Finding the best content is easier with the ratings, but there are also descriptions, and lesson tags to help you find what you need more quickly so you can assess your options.

The content itself is also listed by grade level, and you can use the search filter options to see what is available without having to click through countless pages. Many of the lessons include PowerPoints, word documents, handouts, and note how many times the content has been downloaded.

The comments on the page are also a helpful resource that can let you know the thoughts of other educators, and you can share any content you find via the helpful social media buttons located on each page. You can also email the content to yourself or others, and upload documents to google drive.

The Biology Corner

This super basic lesson plan template from the Biology Corner is great for planning out your lessons week by week, but it doesn’t offer the same detailed breakdown as other templates. What it does do is provide a simple model that you can download as a pdf or save to google docs and use over and over.

Although it is simple, it can also be edited to have different headings and include more information. It will also save you from having to buy an expensive lesson plan book that you have to lug around day in and day out.

Science Teacher Program.org

The Science Teacher Program website is a treasure trove of templates listed by year and grade for a variety of different subject matter. If you have a specific topic in mind, this cohesive list can help you get a ton of material together and get started on a lesson plan quickly.

Each lesson plan is unique, and many of them include helpful diagrams and details that you can copy and paste into slides as a visual during the less. The lessons are also in a simple webpage format, so they are easy to convert to word documents or view on your laptop as is.

Slide Share

SlideShare is an exciting resource where people can upload presentations and slides on any subject they choose to share with the rest of the web. This website offers up tons of original content that works for other presenters, teachers, educators, speakers, and even conferences.

The wealth of material also provides ample inspiration and many times you can download the slides for your own personal use. Not only can this save you a considerable amount of time when creating your lesson plan, but you can also get new ideas for how to present information.

There are also ratings, statistics, and other information about how many people have clipped, downloaded, or viewed the slides so you can get an idea for how popular the format is. There are also comments and notes towards the bottom which can provide more detailed information.

NASA

The NASA site is chalk full of information related to science, but lesson plan templates are probably not the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they think about the organization. In fact, the website offers several different files and lesson plan examples for different subjects and a vast number of grade levels.

Each template includes a fillable area for organizing your thoughts and ideas about the lesson contents, and the template allows for a considerable number of notes. Subject matter can efficiently be arranged in a number of different ways based on teaching style, and the headings allow for quick reference during more extended sessions.

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers is an innovative site to get a lesson plan template that has been designed by another teacher. These downloads are often very inexpensive, typically around $1 or so, and offer a preview of the document before you purchase.

There are details about what the template is for, and how it is meant to be used. Many of them indicated a time frame for how many hours and minutes each part of the lesson should take, and the template is completely customizable as well.

Most of the templates are word documents which makes them easy to download and edit. Many of them are also suitable for a wide range of grade levels and include a rating based on the feedback from other teachers who have used the template.

One Note

This Microsoft application is standard as part of the Windows 10 operating system, and the website offers a number of lesson plan templates suitable for different subjects. There are many fun and interactive templates that can be found and downloaded for free, and the tutorials make it a breeze to get caught up on all the features.

The best part about OneNote for teachers is that it allows them to easily save and collate previous lesson plans for reference, so they have all their information and links at their fingertips at all times. For busy teachers working on material for several subjects at a time, they can even have multiple digital notebooks that can each be customized for their intended use.

Additionally, One Note receives regular updates from Microsoft which mean that you can expect regular upgrades to both content and functionality, and the website is full of new material that arrives regularly.

For cutting-edge learning material, and excellent visualizations, you can’t beat One Note which has STEM material, Minecraft, Skype, and other apps that make it the most versatile and customizable option available for free.

If you’re worried about keeping your wealth of material safe, worry no longer because you can create a Microsoft account and backup all of your files as you create them to ensure you’ll always have access even if you don’t have your computer on hand.

You can even share your lessons with others and view pre-made lessons from other educators on hundreds of different topics. There is also a function on OneNote for a virtual career day, a toolkit for school leaders, and specific content for higher education.

What Does New Research Say About Slowing the Aging Process?

As we age, our bodies change significantly. Some of the effects of aging are quite apparent. For many, the skin loses its elasticity, the hair begins to turn gray, and mobility becomes much more challenging. It comes as no surprise that many people are looking for ways to slow and reverse the process of getting older.

But what does new research say about slowing the aging process? Is it possible? And to what degree does slowing the aging process affect the typical quality of life? In this article, we’ll look at what scientists have discovered so far in hopes of shining some light on the inevitable process of getting older.

Slowing the Aging Process

Over the past few years, there have been more than a few studies on slowing down and even reversing the aging process. With age often comes disease and scientists are eager to cut down on the painful and expensive plights of old age. Recently a few different methods have shown promising success regarding the pace of aging.

Why We Age

To understand how researchers suggest we can slow the process of aging, one must first understand why we age, to begin with. Over the last thirty years or so, technological advances have allowed scientists to take a closer look at why we age.

In general, scientists now know that aging is controlled by genetic factors and biological process that occur naturally in the human body. More specifically, aging occurs because of the following reasons:

Telomere Shortening
Genome Damage
Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Non-Genetic Factors
Unfolded Protein Build-Up
Stem Cell Exhaustion
Cellular Deterioration

Slowing Down the Aging Process

But what does new research say about slowing the aging process? A continuously growing body of research has revealed that a few different techniques can be used to slow down or reverse the process of getting older. These techniques include but are not necessarily limited to the following:

Intermittent Fasting
Stress Management
Meditation
Regular Exercise
Positive Mental Attitude
Eating Healthy

What Does the Research Say?

Delving further into what scientists have to say about slowing the aging process, below we will discuss each of the age-slowing methods mentioned above. To keep things well-organized, we’ll start off with the most recent research and go from there.

Regular Exercise

Multiple recent studies have been conducted to establish any potential connection between regular exercise and longevity. In 2018, researchers confirmed that regular activity continued through the entire lifespan can decrease the chance of muscle decline in old age. Compared to their sedentary counterparts, active seniors were shown to have less age-related muscle deterioration.

Besides, regular exercise has been shown to promote the body’s immune system. A typical side effect of aging is reduced thymus size and an inability to stave off disease. Researchers found that regular cycling can cause the immune system to behave in a more “youthful” manner regarding white blood cell activity.

As a final note on regular exercise, researchers in 2017 found that vigorous activity can both promote mitochondrial capacity and increased telomere length. These two factors are essential when considering the process of aging, and both indicate that regular exercise is an excellent way to decrease the speed of getting older.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has become somewhat trendy in the diet world lately, and for a good reason. In addition to stunning weight-loss related results, a study published in late 2017 suggests that the same technique could be a critical component to extending lifespan and slowing the aging process.

This study, published by Harvard researchers in October 2017 provides useful insight into the way that cells process energy over time. Researchers in this study used nematode worms to investigate the state of mitochondrial networks across the lifespan of the organisms.

Researchers used two techniques to mimic the process of intermittent fasting in their test subjects. The first involved merely restricting diet, while the second method used manipulation of a specific “energy-sensing” protein (AMPK). Both processes showed that intermittent diet restriction has a significant impact on mitochondrial networks.

In both types of dietary restriction, researchers noted that mitochondrial networks maintained a certain “youthfulness” in that they retained their fused state. This fused state promoted communications between the mitochondria and other organelles that modulate fat metabolism.

While this is indeed not the first study to show that intermittent fasting can accommodate graceful aging, it is a pivotal step in understanding why this technique can reduce the pace of getting older.

Stress Management

Stress has long been known to contribute to certain diseases such as increased blood pressure and depression. Recent research has revealed even more evidence that chronic stress is unhealthy. In particular, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have discovered a link in constant pressure and decreased levels of klotho.

Klotho has been recognized as a link in the mysteries of aging for quite some time. Previous studies have indicated that increased levels of klotho subsequently increase lifespan in different types of animals. However, this study from 2015 is the first to present a potential link between chronic stress and significantly decreased levels of klotho.

Dipping in a little further, it becomes apparent that proper stress management is crucial to increasing overall lifespan. By mitigating stress, it is possible that klotho levels will rise and subsequently lead to a slower aging process and a longer life.

Positive Mindset

It’s always a good idea to maintain a positive mindset, but as it turns out this concept is even more crucial when considering the process of aging. This study, published in 2016, shows a critical connection between how we think about aging compared to how we age.

Researchers showed that keeping a positive mindset about aging compared favorably against mindsets that embraced the difficulties of old age. In other words, people who believed that aging would bring with it poor memory and high blood pressure would develop these ailments more readily than those who did not believe in the inevitability of a shortened old age.

This study speaks volumes to the power of a positive mindset and the ability to slow the aging process by reducing stress. Because the mind is our most powerful tool for reducing our stress, and subsequently increasing telomere longevity, it is entirely crucial to engage in activities that will promote healthy cognitive function.

Meditation

In this 2013 study of yogic meditation, researchers identified a definite link between brief daily meditation practice and an increase of telomerase activity. Also, those participating in a regular meditation practice saw a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and an increase in cognitive function.

The combined cognitive benefits and increased telomerase activity suggest that including a regular meditation practice can have incredible benefits on lifespan. As mentioned above, high-stress levels can contribute to premature aging in numerous ways. By increasing telomerase activity with meditation, cellular aging is slowed down.

By improving the daily lives of those who practice regular meditation, it can be presumed that reflection will positively contribute to the slowing of the aging process. Decreased depressive symptoms eliminate unnecessary stress and subsequently promote healthy and slow going aging.

Eating Healthy

It may come as no surprise that in addition to reducing stress and exercising regularly, eating healthy can promote a decrease in the pace of aging. Studies as recent as 2015 have continued to support healthy diet as a critical component to a long and healthy life.

Most recently, researchers have turned their focus to specific bioactive compounds that can slow down the aging of cells in the body. These compounds are typically found in fruits and vegetables and certain other foods like cacao and tea.

In previous research, scientists noted the benefits of consuming bioactive compounds for compromised populations. Recently it has been discovered that the same benefits are available to healthy adults as well. If you fuel your body with nutrient-dense foods, your cells will function well and resist the typical strains of old age.

So, what does new research say about slowing the aging process? Further research concerning the aging process mirrors what scientists have known for years. A healthy lifestyle is crucial for a long life.

While today’s studies are increasingly sophisticated in design, researchers are merely opening doors to understanding why health and longevity are so closely intertwined. In addition to the methods of promoting cellular survival mentioned above, it is important to note that genetics and social factors also impact how long we live.

In areas of the world that have the most substantial numbers of nonagenarians and centenarians, communities are thriving. These cultures enjoy all of the benefits listed above as a community and as such residents tend to live longer.

As technology continues to develop, we will undoubtedly discover more in-depth explanations regarding the process of aging. Accordingly, it is likely that we will reveal new methods to extend the lifespan of cells and further slow the aging process.

How the Human Brain Creates Memories and Processes Thoughts

It can be fascinating to wonder about the marvels of the human brain. Unlike most other animals, humans are self-aware. We can think, plan, and recall events that have happened in and around our lives. Despite our incredible capacity for thought, how the human brain creates memories and processes thoughts can still be quite a mystery.

How The Brain is Structured

It’s crucial, to begin with, the basic structure of the brain to start to understand how the human mind creates memories and processes thoughts. For the most part, animals all have relatively similar brain form. In this essential form, the innermost parts of the brain are the oldest in and have not changed much over years of evolution.

These inner parts of the brain control our most basic survival instincts such as breathing, resting, moving, and feeding. As you move away from the spinal cord, additional layers provide the capacity for higher thinking and better memory. In humans, our outermost layer of the brain is called the cerebral cortex, and it is incredibly sophisticated.

With such a highly developed outer brain layer we are capable of much more than the most basic survival functions. For example, humans frequently develop intricate social networks, can retain memories for long periods of time and can experience emotions.

How We Form Thoughts

How The Brain is Structured — Photo credit to Searchgi.com

Moving forward from the underlying structure that allows for the formation of higher thinking patterns, we delve further into how thoughts are processed. The brain is composed of specialized cells known as neurons and support cells called glia.

As you probably know, neurons are the cells most commonly associated with the nervous system. However, it is important to note that without glial cells, the neurons in the brain would not be able to function at all. Many different types of glial cells exist in the brain and provide numerous benefits to the neurons.

Glial Cells

More specifically, glial cells provide the following benefits to neurons:

Guide Developing Neurons to Their Destinations
Protect Neurons from Harmful Ions and Chemicals
Provide Myelin Sheaths Around Axons
Modulate Communication Between Nerve Cells

As you can see, these lesser-known cells are incredibly crucial to a fully functioning human brain. In fact, without these essential support cells, humans would not be capable of processing thoughts or forming memories.

Neurons

Neurons are the specialized cells that receive all forms of sensory input from the external world and communicate that information to the body and brain. Compared to other types of cells, neurons have a unique tree-like shape that fosters the work of delivering information throughout the body.

While much is unknown about the inner workings of the brain, scientists have discovered that neurons behave in a pretty specific manner. There are three main parts to each neuron; the cell body, the dendrites, and the axon. When exposed to an electrical impulse, information moves from the dendrites to the cell body and then to the axon.

Once the electrical impulse moves to the end of the axon, it reaches the synapse. Here the signal moves from one neuron to the next by way of a neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter stimulates the next neuron, and the process begins again.

When neurons absorb information from the wide variety of stimuli we come in contact with every day, billions of connections can occur through the neural pathways described above. These connections are what lead to our perceptions about the world around us. Furthermore, these connections work together to create our thoughts.

But what happens after the brain has “processed” thought in this manner? Does it all just end there?

How We Store Thoughts

Store Thoughts Brain — Photo credit to Braintoss

Now that we have outlined a basic understanding of how thoughts come to be, we can continue to work out how the human brain creates memories and processes thoughts. It’s important to understand that neuroscience is a very complicated discipline and is not entirely understood by researchers as of yet.

Most people understand that the process of storing thoughts is what we refer to as memory. However, a much smaller number of people have any real understanding of how our brains take seemingly “simple” thoughts and turn them into memories.

To start our discussion, we will begin by saying that memory, unlike other attributes of the body, is not a defined part of the body. Instead, the word memory refers to the elaborate means of remembering.

A wide array of models have been used to describe the way that memory works in the human brain. However, current researchers are quickly finding that these simplistic notions regarding memory are nowhere near as sophisticated or elusive as the human memory. Today, scientists are finding that it is made up of a complex web of cells placed explicitly around the brain.

Short-Term Memory

Most people have heard the term “short-term memory” at one point in their life or another. However, only a handful of people can give an accurate description of what short-term memory is.

To begin our discussion, we’ll note that short-term memory is also known as active or primary memory. As these names imply, short-term memory is something that we use in our present state of being. Furthermore, it is worth noting that short-term memory is limited in both duration and number of items held.

For most functioning brains, the short-term memory lasts between twenty and thirty seconds. Sometimes this time frame fluctuates in either direction depending upon the circumstances under which information is received. Typically the average human brain can hold between four and nine items in short-term memory.

Long-Term Memory

In contrast to the fading short-term memories that we dispose of quickly, the long-term memory seems to be unlimited regarding the number of items stored. Additionally, long-term memories are typically stored for much more extended periods of time, usually many years. But how exactly does the human brain move items from short-term memory to long-term memory?

Most people are vaguely aware that there are a variety of techniques for committing specific information to memory. For example, people tend to “chunk” information into smaller parts of a larger whole to memorize it. Also, it is common to use rehearsal as a means of committing short-term memory to long-term storage.

Despite the knowledge of these memorization methods, the specific science behind “converting” short-term memories into long-term memories is not well understood. Several working theories try to explain the precise mechanisms of memory. Each potential philosophy is unique, and this particular subject is a matter of much scientific controversy.

Memory Loss and Difficulty

It’s no secret that just as our brains have an incredible capacity to process information and develop memories, they also can “lose” memories. Injury, trauma, and certain illnesses can all affect the way we remember things and even make it seem that certain memories are gone for good. But what exactly happens when we “lose” a memory?

Because the mechanisms regarding thoughts and the way we store memories are not very well understood, it is difficult to say what precisely happens when we forget something. In some cases, memory loss seems to be temporary while in others it looks more permanent. By examining the different causes of memory loss, we can gain some useful insights.

Retrograde vs. Anterograde Amnesia

Memory Health Tests for Everyone — Photo credit to Memory Health

In movies that feature patients with amnesia, it’s often the case that these characters cannot remember their past. This type of amnesia is medically known as retrograde amnesia. Retrograde amnesia can be caused by disease or injury and deals explicitly with memories stored before illness or injury. The ability to learn new concepts is generally not affected.

In contrast, anterograde amnesia preserves old memories and prevents the development of new memories. Because of the mystery surrounding how the brain stores memories, anterograde amnesia is very difficult to understand. Additionally, this type of amnesia provides a wide array of questions regarding how memories are formed and stored.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

The term dementia refers to a group of diseases that cause a slow decline in the ability to think and recall past knowledge. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common disorder associated with dementia and also the most common cause of it.

Despite Alzheimer’s disease causing the majority of dementia cases, there are several other causes of dementia. Some of these causes are reversible, suggesting a high degree of plasticity in the brain. However, there is no defined cure for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in general which highlights our general lack of understanding of the human mind.

Overall, the mechanism that dictates how the human brain creates memories and processes thoughts are complicated. Neuroscientists are continually researching new theories and challenging previous notions regarding the human mind.

As new technologies develop, scientists have high hopes of gaining a better understanding of the brain and all of its intricacies. However, until we can understand the subtle processes that create our ability to think and store information, it is unlikely that we will gain a better understanding of diseases that affect our ability to create and access our memories.

Biology, Babies and Serotonin

The Abnormal Biology of A Baby

Joseph was an unhappy baby. He didn’t sleep for long periods and appeared to cry all a time. He’d best if he had been held and rocked, or walked. He spit after feeding and was negatively compared to other babies in the family. His parents gently called him their “high care” child. He developed a few ear ailments that were treated with antibiotics. With the second antibiotic he obtained, he developed a rash. His doctor said he had been allergic to amoxicillin and put him on another antibiotic. He got over the ear infection, but continued to become whiny and had nausea.

After a different antibiotic he developed a white coat on his tongue which the doctor called thrush. As he grew, it became evident that he was intolerant to a foods. Milk gave him a stomach ache with pain and gave him a rash around his mouth area. He continued to be plagued with trouble falling asleep, tummy aches, frequent canker sores, and bed wetting as he grew older. He had more unusual fears than his sisters and brothers. When he started college his mother noticed his memory wasn’t as great as his sisters. He’d find something one day and have forgotten it the next.

Occasionally he looked like quite robotic. Often times he seemed spacey while a lesson has been exhibited or when asked a question through the day. When a lesson or project became difficult for him, he became frustrated very easily over and would flare up or cry. Josephs mother had been at her wits end trying to figure out how to help him. She’d tried rewarding, cajoling, punishing, and avoiding doing homework entirely. Nothing appeared to change his attitude towards studying or his capability to do it easily. He did enjoy the avoidance of college work, however, like we all do. As it turns out, Joseph was probably suffering from a deficiency of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin.

The Solution

Serotonin is the brain chemical that keeps us focused, instills a feeling of well being, and helps us fall asleep easily. How had he gotten this deficiency in serotonin? Dr. Michael Gershon, a neurobiologist and physician Researcher at Columbia University in NY, discovered that 95% of serotonin is produced in our gut. Gershon has a book called The Second Brain wherein he describes this complex relationship between gut and brain functioning.

How was Josephs gut health endangered to a point where he could no longer make enough serotonin to keep him feeling good? We have both yeast and healthful bacteria in our intestines. When the mother takes an antibiotic when she’s pregnant or the kid takes an antibiotic, the yeast in the intestine begins to overgrow since the good bacteria in the gut is eliminated and the bad bacteria which was causing the ear or other infection is increased.

So as it turned out, if the measures to detect low serotonin were in place, Joseph could have avoided a lifetime of pain and confusion. Over times, when it comes to Biology, if one chemical is out of wack, it can alter someones life to extremes.

No Major Variation in GIT Evolution of All Animals from Fish to Humans

Introduction

Studies on the evolution of the human Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) have shown evolutionary traits that are similar to those of fish and other related vertebrates. This study has shed light on GIT illnesses related to the intestines and digestion, such as obesity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diabetes, just to name a few. These findings were published in the PLOS Biology Journal on Tuesday 29^th August 2017.

Senior researcher and author of the report, John F. Rawls, a molecular genetics and microbiology associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine said that the results of the study suggest that fish, humans and related vertebrates share a common evolutionary path when it comes to the GIT, and that answers to some of these illnesses could be found in further study of these animals. The genes associated with the illnesses described above can be turned off and on, and therein lies the treatment and cure.

Supporting evidence from the sea

Another study of the enigmatic marine Penis Worm (Priapulids) shows that the same genes may be the ones that control the development of the GIT beyond mere vertebrates. Dr. Andreas Hejnol, a researcher at the Sars International Center for Marine Molecular Biology said that it was a surprise to find that Priapulids for the gut in much the same way as starfish, sea urchins, fish frogs and humans.

This shows that different organisms for the GIT using the same genes and this development are more than 500 million years old. The results of the study were published in the Current Biology journal on 25^th October 2017.

Reasons why the study of the evolution of the GIT is so important

The GIT is central to several important functions in all vertebrates. Primarily it digests food and absorbs nutrients, but it also processes toxins and drugs, stimulates the immune system and provides protection against the bacteria that could be harmful were they to enter the blood stream and other organs.

It has been indicated that some defects in the epithelial cells of the GIT are the root cause of colorectal cancer, infectious diarrhea, malnutrition, food allergies, obesity, diabetes and inflammatory bowel syndrome.

For a long time, scientists have comparatively studied higher vertebrates to find answers to human diseases, but the link across species had never been clear till now.

Further study into the evolutionary paths of distant species

Colin Lickwar, another associate researcher and lead author, together with colleague have studied four species with distinctly different evolutionary paths to see if there are similarities in the evolution of the GIT. These species, humans, mice, zebrafish and stickleback fish have shown an oddly similar activity level of all their genes, and specific gene sequences in the same location which could be switched on and off.

Much to his surprise, Lickwar found that there was an amazing similarity between vertebrates. There was an intestinal epithelial sell structure that shared patterns along the GIT. These genes have been identified as causal to several human illnesses. If a control was to be found in one species, could it also be applied to another species, say human beings?

Implications in tackling human diseases

Human illnesses caused by the GIT have baffled scientists for a very long time. The results of this study have implications for the treatment of these diseases. The study of how fluorescent proteins were switched in the transparent zebrafish, could yield results that could be transcribed to humans.

Should treatments in these other species work, then scientists will only be a few steps away from finding treatments and cures for the diseases mentioned above. A lot of study still remains to be done, but this is one of the closets that researchers have been to finding a cure for diseases such as diabetes, which are difficult to manage, among many others..

Conclusion

The similarity in the GIT evolution of humans and other vertebrates is similar, and has been so for hundreds of millions of years. The ancient gene responsible for the development of the Gastrointestinal Tract is similar in all the animals studied and these can be transcribed to other animals as well. It therefore remains to be seen whether treatment of certain conditions in other species can be related to treatments for the same conditions in humans. Perhaps, illnesses like diabetes will be a thing of the past, thanks to the innovative studies conducted by these scientists.

The study conducted with other organizations has shown that organisms completed unrelated to each other along the evolutionary pathway could hold answers to illnesses and conditions that seem to have no treatment or cure. This is probably the beginning of an alternative way of looking for cures to various human illnesses.

The research was done as a collaborative effort between the Sars International Center for Marine Molecular Biology, the Duke University School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.