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Topic Review
Saltation
In biology, saltation (from la saltus 'leap, jump') is a sudden and large mutational change from one generation to the next, potentially causing single-step speciation. This was historically offered as an alternative to Darwinism. Some forms of mutationism were effectively saltationist, implying large discontinuous jumps. Speciation, such as by polyploidy in plants, can sometimes be achieved in a single and in evolutionary terms sudden step. Evidence exists for various forms of saltation in a variety of organisms.
  • 3.1K
  • 29 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Soil Desalination
Salinity is a major threat that reduces the capacity of all types of terrestrial ecosystems to provide services by threatening biodiversity, lowering agriculture production, degrading the environment, contaminating groundwater below standard levels, increasing flood risks, creating food security concerns, and limiting a community’s economic growth.
  • 3.1K
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Plant-Based Milk Production
Growing concerns about the environmental impacts, healthiness, and ethical implications of eating animal-based products, such as meat, eggs, and milk, has led to an increase in demand for plant-based alternatives.  Plant-based milk substitutes can be created using two main approaches. First, certain oil-rich plant tissues (such as almonds, cashews, coconut flesh, flaxseeds, or soy beans) can be converted into colloidal suspensions using size-reduction and isolation techniques (such as soaking, grinding, enzyme-treatment, filtration, and centrifugation).  Second, plant-based oils (such as corn, flaxseed soybean, or sunflower oil) can be homogenized with water in the presence of plant-based proteins (such as pea, legume, or soy proteins), polysaccharides (gum arabic or beet pectin), phospholipids (such as soy or sunflower lecithin), or saponins (such as quillaja saponin) to create an oil-in-water emulsion with similar characteristics to bovine milk.   
  • 3.1K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Blockchain
This entry provides an overview of the application of blockchain technologies for enabling traceability in the agri-food domain. It presents relevant definitions and the various types of blockchain solutions used in "farm to fork" traceability, including public vs private blockchain networks, consensus protocols and smart contracts.
  • 3.1K
  • 10 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Sea Urchin
Sea urchins (/ˈɜːrtʃɪnz/) are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone — from the intertidal seashore down to 5,000 metres (16,000 ft; 2,700 fathoms). The spherical, hard shells (tests) of sea urchins are round and spiny, ranging in diameter from 3 to 10 cm (1 to 4 in). Sea urchins move slowly, crawling with tube feet, and also propel themselves with their spines. Although algae are the primary diet, sea urchins also eat slow-moving (sessile) animals. In the food chain, the predators who eat sea urchins are the sea otter and the starfish, the wolf eel, the triggerfish, and human beings. Adult sea urchins have fivefold symmetry, but their pluteus larvae feature bilateral (mirror) symmetry, indicating that the sea urchin belongs to the Bilateria group of animal phyla, which also comprises the chordates and the arthropods, the annelids and the molluscs, and are found in every ocean and in every climate, from the tropics to the polar regions, and inhabit marine benthic (sea bed) habitats, from rocky shores to hadal zone depths. The fossil record of the Echinoids dates from the Ordovician period, some 450 million years ago; the closest echinoderm relatives of the sea urchin are the sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea); both are deuterostomes, a clade that includes the chordates. The animals have been studied since the 19th century as model organisms in developmental biology, as their embryos were easy to observe; this has continued with studies of their genomes because of their unusual fivefold symmetry and relationship to chordates. Species such as the slate pencil urchin are popular in aquariums, where they are useful for controlling algae. Fossil urchins have been used as protective amulets.
  • 3.1K
  • 19 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Chrysanthemum Morifolium
Chrysanthemum morifolium (also known as florist's daisy and hardy garden mum) is a species of perennial plant from family Asteraceae.
  • 3.1K
  • 02 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Inhibitors
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling endopeptidases that have the capacity to degrade almost every component of the ECM. The degradation of the ECM is of great importance, since it is related to embryonic development and angiogenesis. It is also involved in cell repair and the remodeling of tissues. When the expression of MMPs is altered, it can generate the abnormal degradation of the ECM. This is the initial cause of the development of chronic degenerative diseases and vascular complications generated by diabetes. In addition, this process has an association with neurodegeneration and cancer progression. Within the ECM, the tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) inhibit the proteolytic activity of MMPs. TIMPs are important regulators of ECM turnover, tissue remodeling, and cellular behavior. Therefore, TIMPs (similar to MMPs) modulate angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. An interruption in the balance between MMPs and TIMPs has been implicated in the pathophysiology and progression of several diseases.
  • 3.1K
  • 18 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Caffeine, a Factor for Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and disabling rheumatic diseases. It is mainly characterized by articular cartilage degradation, which is fundamental for correct joint function, lubrication, and resistance to mechanical loading. However, the whole joint is normally compromised. As a result of the articular cartilage alterations, typical OA symptoms such as pain and joint failure appear, increasing population’s dependency. OA aetiology is not fully understood. However, there are some risk factors such as certain genetic profiles, gender, age, exercise, metabolic alterations, obesity and diet habits, which could increase its prevalence. Notably, diet can play a crucial role in OA onset and evolution. Specifically, it is known that caffeine intake exerts a negative impact on articular cartilage. Overall, there is ample evidence indicating that caffeine intake has a negative impact on the physiology of articular cartilage, increasing consumers predisposition to suffer OA. Considering these results, caffeine consumption should be reduced and closely controlled. Specifically, this control should be compulsory to those people whose caffeine metabolism is reduced, such as children and pregnant women.
  • 3.1K
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Serotonin Pathway
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a biogenic monoamine produced from the essential amino acid tryptophan. Serotonin’s role as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and a motility mediator in the gastrointestinal tract has been well defined, and its function in tumorigenesis in various cancers (gliomas, carcinoids, and carcinomas) is being studied. Many studies have shown a potential stimulatory effect of serotonin on cancer cell proliferation, invasion, dissemination, and tumor angiogenesis.
  • 3.1K
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Cotton Seed
Seed germination is the basis for the proliferation of sexual-reproducing plants, efficient crop production, and a successful crop improvement research program. While seeds are a vital form of dispersal and propagation of plants in the environment, they had to develop mechanisms in unfavorable circumstances to ensure the preservation of the next generation. One of the major survival adaptations of seeds is dormancy. This phenomenon allows the seed to delay and coordinate germination according to environmental conditions and it is essential to the conservation and proliferation of a species. Generally, dormant seeds naturally start or resume the germination process once they detect environmental signals indicating suitable conditions for plant development such as temperature fluctuations, water availability, and even smoke. If unfavorable conditions persist and seeds halt germination for a long period, aging might negatively impact this process. Modifications in the seed structure like the hard seed trait in cotton can also affect germination. Often referred to as physical dormancy, hard seeds are water impermeable and prevent gas exchange and water uptake by the embryo.
  • 3.1K
  • 23 Dec 2021
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