Grizzly Bears and Humans
Published by Grizzly Bears and humans share 95 percent of the same DNA. That means there’s only five percent difference in the two species.Yet bears live under conditions that humans can not. Bears have fifty percent body fat, sleep for months at a time yet they suffer no bone or muscle loss, have no heart attacks or succumb to the maladies that humans do. Scientists are studying how bears stay healthy and if the answers can apply to humans.
Grizzly Bears and Humans
Grizzly bears are fat, they sleep for months without exercise yet they have no high cholesterol, no heart attacks, no hardening of the arteries or circulation problems. The changes that occur in bears during hibernation would kill a human, yet bears remain strong and healthy. Scientists are studying how bears hearts stay healthy under these conditions and if it can apply to humans. Charles Robbins and other researchers have been doing bear research for the last seven years trying to answer this question.
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Grizzly bears heart rate drops from more than 80 beats per minute when awake to less than 20 beats, and sometimes down to the single digits when hibernating. Electrocardiograms show pooling of blood in the heart, yet the bears do not suffer clots and show no ill effects. Evidence shows that protein changes cause the bears hearts to remain stiffer during hibernation which allows the heart to retain its shape and avoid clots.
An amazing fact is that bears and humans share 95 percent of DNA. Scientists say bears make perfect stand ins for humans in research. We share many biological similarities. Learning how bears cope with being asleep for so long will bode well for space flights and people who are bed ridden. Bears scientists are studying love grease, cakes and any kind of pastries. Fifty percent of their body is fat, yet they remain perfectly healthy. A cowbell is rung when treats are in the offing and the bears come running.
Another aspect of bears scientists have found is that bears do not develop osteoporosis during long periods of hibernation. Their cells continue to make new bone as they sleep. Bears also retain muscle mass. Humans would lose some seventy percent of muscle and would also suffer bone loss in similar inactivity.
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More articles:
http://healthmad.com/condition-and-diseases/heart-racing/
http://healthmad.com/health/keep-your-bones-strong/
http://healthmad.com/nutrition/diet-and-hypertension/
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On August 8, 2010 at 1:58 pm
im starting to wonder if they can ride on my bike its just like the one on the second picture. but seriously amazing!!!