Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
Cryptobiosis
- Scientists have revived a worm that was frozen 46,000 years ago.
- The roundworm survived 40 metres (131.2 feet) below the surface in the Siberian permafrost in a dormant state known as cryptobiosis.
About Cryptobiosis
- Cryptobiosis is the state of an organism when it shows no visible signs of life and when its metabolic activity becomes hardly measurable or comes reversibly to a standstill.
- Organisms in a cryptobiotic state can endure the complete absence of water or oxygen and withstand high temperatures, as well as freezing or extremely salty conditions.
- Since metabolism is a defining characteristic of life, cryptobiosis can be termed as a temporary death of an organism.
Cell-free DNA
- In the human body, most of the DNA in a genome is neatly packed inside cells with the help of specific proteins, protecting it from being degraded.
- However, some fragments of DNA are ‘released’ from their containers and are present outside the cell, in body fluids.
- These small fragments of nucleic acids are widely known as cell-free DNA (cfDNA).
- cfDNA refers to small fragments of nucleic acids that are released from cells and found outside the cell in body fluids as plasma, urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
- cfDNA quantity in the blood increases under pathological conditions such as auto-immune diseases, cancer etc.
Application of cfDNA
- Detect genetic abnormalities in foetuses.
- Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancers.
- Monitor immune response after organ transplantation and can be used as a biomarker.
