cell & molecular biology, physiology

Tiny hairlike structures on pancreatic cells have long been considered static sensors. Now, researchers say they move and help regulate insulin secretion.

By viewing countless hours of expectorating worms, researchers discover a unique way in which neurons control the movement of muscles.

A study of 19 postmenopausal women found that eating a bar of chocolate in the morning affected their bodies differently than eating it at night, but neither led to weight gain.

After receiving an intraocular injection of the gene for a light-sensitive protein, a 58-year-old man diagnosed with the neurodegenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa was able to locate objects on a table using engineered goggles.

Following vaccination, some women claim their periods have changed, leading to rumors about how the shots affect recipients’ reproductive systems, and even others’ by proxy.  

A study shows gamma-delta T cells in mice respond to shifts in nutrients by changing the cellular composition of the intestinal epithelium.

Corticosterone interferes with signaling in the skin that normally activates hair follicle stem cells, possibly explaining the link between stress and hair loss.

Healthy people put through high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, displayed insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction after working out excessively.

Researchers repaired what is otherwise irreversible damage in the animals’ ocular neurons, by activating transcription factors ordinarily used to generate induced pluripotent stem cells.

The researchers behind the results propose that an exercise-induced protein in circulation is responsible for the benefits.

Using advanced microscopy and imaging techniques, scientists have revealed new parts of the human body and overturned previous misconceptions.

The last few years have yielded new insights into human anatomy. Explore this interactive graphic to learn about some of these discoveries.  

The functional, respiring organelles appear to be present in the blood of healthy people, but their function is yet unclear.

Anti-doping agencies are tracking levels of various molecules in athletes’ blood and urine over time to increase their ability to detect drug misuse.

Researchers identify changes to a pain receptor and to an ion channel that appear to enable the rodents to colonize otherwise inhospitable burrows.

Scott Kelly’s physiology, gene activity, and mental performance changed after time aboard the International Space Station, but mostly returned to normal once back on Earth.

The extremely rare event, thought to be caused by two sperm cells fertilizing the same egg simultaneously, was last reported in 2007.

Children born to moms who smoked or ingested marijuana during pregnancy suffer higher rates of depression, hyperactivity, and inattention.

Data gathered from GPS-equipped collars show the animals walk long distances over days without stopping for a drink.