Selenium is a nutrient that plays a crucial role in human health[1], contributing to the thyroid and immune function, DNA repair, and cardiovascular and cognitive health.
It acts as an antioxidant[2] – substances that protect cells from unstable molecules that can damage DNA, proteins and cell membranes. It can even protect against cancer.
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Insects do a lot more harm than ruining picnics. Some insects spread devastating diseases[1], while others cause staggering economic losses in agriculture[2]. To control some of these pests, scientists are developing males that make sex a deadly event.
The stakes are high. Mosquitoes carry viruses such as dengue[3], West Nile[4] and Zika[5], as...
The Sun periodically ejects huge bubbles of plasma[1] from its surface that contain an intense magnetic field. These events are called coronal mass ejections[2], or CMEs. When two of these ejections collide, they can generate powerful geomagnetic storms that can lead to beautiful auroras but may disrupt satellites and GPS back on Earth.
On May...
Cancer arises when your cells grow uncontrollably and refuse to die[1] when they should. Normally, your body is equipped with regulatory processes to prevent this chaos. One such mechanism involves a protein called p53[2]. Often dubbed the “guardian of the genome[3],” this protein plays a pivotal role in ensuring that your cells grow,...