Horseshoe Crab

Horseshoe crab are marine arthropods of the family Limulidae that live primarily in and around shallow ocean water on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. They occasionally come onto shore to mate. They are commonly used as bait and in fertilizer. In recent years, a decline in the number of individuals has occurred as a consequence of coastal habitats in Japan and overharvesting along the coast of North America. Horseshoe crab are considered living fossils. Unlike vertebrates, horseshoe crab do not have hemoglobin in their blood, but instead use hemocyanin to carry oxygen. Because of the copper present in hemocyanin, their blood is blue. Their blood contains amebocytes, which play the role of white blood cells of vertebrates in defending the organism against pathogens. Amebocytes from the blood of L. polyphemus are used to make Limulus amebocyte lysate, which is used for the detection of bacterial endotoxins. Harvesting horseshoe crab blood involves collecting and bleeding the animals, and then releasing them back into the sea. Most of the animals survive the process; mortality is correlated with both the amount of blood extracted from an individual animal, and the stress experienced during handling and transportation.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/crash-a-tale-of-two-species/the-benefits-of-blue-blood/595/

http://izismile.com/2011/08/16/amazing_horseshoe_crabs_with_blue_blood_20_pics.html

Cesarean (C-Section)

Cesarean delivery also known as a C-section is a procedure used to deliver a baby through an incision in the mother's abdomen and a second incision in the mother's uterus. A C-section might be planned ahead of time if you develop complications with the pregnancy or you've had a previous C-section and aren't considering vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Often, however, the need for a first-time. C-section doesn't become obvious until labor is under way. If you're pregnant, knowing what to expect during a C-section both during the procedure and afterward can help you prepare. Sometimes a C-section is safer for you or your baby than is a vaginal delivery. Your health care provider might recommend a C-section if: your labor isn't progressing, your baby isn't getting enough oxygen, your baby is in an abnormal position, you're carrying twins, triplets or other multiples, there's a problem with the umbilical cord, you have a health concern or your baby has a health concern and if you have had a C-section before. Some women request C-sections with their first babies to avoid labor or the possible complications of vaginal birth. Recovery from a C-section takes longer than does recovery from a vaginal birth. And like other types of major surgery, C-sections also carry a higher risk of complications. Risks to you include: inflammation and infection of the membrane lining the uterus, increased bleeding, reactions to anesthesia, blood clots, wound infection, surgical injury and increased risks during future pregnancies.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/c-section/MY00214

http://www.healthyhippie.net/more-twins-delivered-via-c-section/

http://doctorstock.photoshelter.com/image/I00009hfPQ3vgn4E

Eye Color

Eye color is a polygenic phenotypic character determined by two distinct factors: the pigmentation of the eye's iris and the frequency-dependence of the scattering of light by the turbid medium in the stoma of the iris. In humans, the pigmentation of the iris varies from light brown to black, depending on the concentration of melanin in the iris pigment epithelium located on the back of the iris, the melanin content within the iris stoma located at the front of the iris, and the cellular density of the stoma. The appearance of blue and green, as well as hazel eyes, results from the Rayleigh scattering of light in the stoma, a phenomenon similar to that which accounts for the blueness of the sky. Neither blue nor green pigments are ever present in the human iris or ocular fluid. Eye color is thus an instance of structural color and varies depending on the lighting conditions, especially for lighter-colored eyes. The genetics of eye color are complicated, and color is determined by multiple genes. So far, as many as 15 genes have been associated with eye color inheritance. The once-held view that blue eye color is a simple recessive trait has been shown to be incorrect. The genetics of eye color are so complex that almost any parent-child combination of eye colors can occur.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color

http://www.eyecircles.net/honey-eye-color/

http://youqueen.com/beauty/makeup/mesmerizing-eyes-8-essential-eye-makeup-tips/

Chorionic Villus Sampling

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) is a prenatal test in which a sample of chorionic villi is removed from the placenta for testing. Placenta is an organ that is connected to the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange through the mothers blood supply. The chorionic villi which makes up most of the placenta is shared between the mother and baby it makes up its genetic makeup. CVS can reveal whether a baby has a chromosomal condition, such as Down syndrome and test for other genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis. CVS can give valuable information about the baby's health. CVS is offered when the test results might have a significant impact on the management of the pregnancy or your desire to continue the pregnancy. Chorionic villus sampling is usually done between weeks 10 and 12 of pregnancy earlier than other prenatal diagnostic tests, such as amniocentesis.  This is a serious test and you must understand the risk that comes along with the procedure and you must prepare yourself for the results.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chorionic-villus-sampling/MY00154
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta

http://www.baby2see.com/medical/amniocentesis_cvs.html

http://suite101.com/a/what-is-chorionic-villus-sampling-a332856

Amniocentesis

Amniocentesis is procedure in which amniotic fluid is removed from the uterus for testing or treatment. The amniotic is fluid that the baby is surrounded in. In this fluid it has fetal cells and various chemicals that comes from the baby. The process starts off by getting an ultrasound, then a numbing medicine is rubbed on the mothers belly or a shot is giving in the skin or belly. Then a long needle is inserted through the belly into the womb. At this time a small amount of fluid about 20 ml is removed. In the lab the fluid is used for genetic studies and to see the levels of alpha-fetoprotein. This test can be done for many reasons. It could be tested to see if the baby has Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18, Turner Syndrome, Klinefelter and Spina Bifida or any other problems. This test is 99 percent accurate. It can tell if the baby is fully developed enough for birth. The test tells if the baby has any infections or illness. This procedure could be done to remove some of the amniotic fluid. It takes the results two weeks to come back. This test is done when the woman is 16 to 22 weeks pregnant. This test can also cause risk such as genetic and chromosomal problems. The test is invasive and carries a small risk of miscarriage.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/amniocentesis/MY00155
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniocentesis#Procedure
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003921.htm

http://www.pregnancyatoz.org/2nd-Trimester/Checks-and-Tests/Amniocentesis

http://www.morningsicknesssymptomshub.com/category/amniocentesis/

Gray Tree Frogs- Hyla Vesrsicolor

Classification: Phylum-Chordata, Class-Amphibia, Order-Anura, Family-Hylidae, Genus-Hyla. The gray tree frog are located from Manitoba east to Maine and south to northern Florida and central Texas. They are nocturnal frogs. They sleep during the day and at night they look for food. The gray tree frog has many colors on it, green, brown and gray. The color of there skin can have many different patterns. They also can change the color of their skin within seconds. It also change in color by the temperature. If it is cold the skin is a darker color. The color on the frog helps it to blend in with its surrounding like trees that have dark color bark. They live in moist wood areas and swamps near water. They can be all kinds of sizes but mostly they are two inches long. Just like other frogs they have sticky toe pads that help it to cling to objects. The gray tree frog also have a mating call which has a slower trill that is musical. They mate from April to August. The males are very aggressive and defend what is his. The males also are the ones who does the mate calling. The female frogs lay there eggs inside water. When the females lay there eggs there are 2000 eggs in groups of 10 to 40. It take the eggs four to five days to catch. The process of becoming a froglet takes up to two months. This type of frog eats moths, crickets, ants, flies, grasshoppers and beetles.

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/graytreefrog.htm

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/graytreefrog.htm

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/graytreefrog.htm