For their own self-preservation, infected bacteria often try their best to stay out of the immune system in our bodies – and scientists have found a surprising and previously undiscovered way to do this. What happens is that the bacteria release toxins to disarm the mitochondria in immune cells, those …
Read More »This snake-like amphibian could really pack a poisonous bite
A ringed cilium, Siphonops annulatus. Image: Carlos Jared, Instituto Butantan Scientists have detected snake-shaped dental glands in the cilices, which means that these serpentine creatures could actually be poisonous, an unheard-of trait among amphibians. Cecilios secrete a substance through their skin that makes them extra viscous. They also discharge a …
Read More »