“Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. They are incredibly useful in genetics because they replicate by ligating pieces of phage DNA into the bacterial chromosome, which is then replicated by bacterial machinery. Scientists are able to use bacteriophages for the transfer of genes between bacterial cells. Outside of the laboratory, they are partially responsible for the genetic diversity and extraordinary mutation rate of bacteria, as they provide an opportunity for lateral gene transfer among bacteria as well as the incorporation of different, viral genes.”
“Spermatids in their final stages of development before becoming spermatozoa. The blotchy stuff in the foreground are Stertoli cells, which secrete hormones that guide the sperm through the final phase of maturation. Sometimes this process can fail, resulting in defective sperm - such as the two-tailed green one in the photo.”
(Source: pretendy)
“The coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.”
(Source: sin-isterkid)
“T cells are amazing white blood cells that play a crucial role in cell-mediated immunity. They can be divided into several categories - notably helper, cytotoxic, memory, regulatory, and natural killer (NK) - and their primary role within the immune system is to search out and destroy both invading pathogens and abnormal cells. Helper T cells also help to regulate the immune response.
The image above features a cytotoxic T cell, which destroy abnormal cells (most notably virally infected cells and tumour cells) and are also implicated in organ transplant rejection. Dendritic cells, pictured cyan blue in the photo, constitutively express high levels of both class I and class II MCH molecules - the type of receptor that cytotoxic T cells recognise - making them extraordinary potent activators capable of stimulating even “naive” T cells that have never encountered an antigen”
(Source: wrists, via 0nenightsworth)
(Source: phristacaffgen)
(Source: letmesailtheseas, via chaoticawakening)
(Source: gofuckingnuts, via hecticity-deactivated20111219)
(Source: ketchup-sex, via w-astedchances)
(Source: lavenderzephyr, via ohhdamn-little-wildroses)
(Source: vitall, via chaoticawakening)
(Source: petrozzi, via fresherthanamofo27)
(Source: heliumheels)
(Source: invisibleyellow, via nineblindmice)
(Source: architecturepictures)
