Slashdot Mirror
Nanoparticles Enter One's Brain Via Olfactory Bulb
MO-411 writes "An article in Nature News briefly looks at nanoparticles' entry into the brains of lab rats. The fascinating point is that the 35-nanometer particles entered via the olfactory passageways. Scientist confirmed this via plugging one side of the a rats nose. This is significant, as Ken Donaldson, a toxicologist at the University of Edinburgh, UK says. 'I would never have thought of looking for inhaled nanoparticles in the brain.' Think about it -- everything from kitty litter to wallboard dust is likely ending up inside the one's brain, circumventing the blood/brain barrier and all its protections. It also makes for an interesting delivery mechanism for other substances..."
...that I'll be able to inhale caffeine ?
-
Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
Inhalation Toxicology, the journal referenced at the bottom of the article, has some other interesting articles on nanoparticles. I searched for all the cancer-related articles that mention nanoparticles, and they do have several articles discussing nanoparticles being used in immunizations and various 'cures', which is kind of encouraging. It seems to me that any medication that we could just shoot through the brain/blood barrier, would be quicker and possibly more effective.
Unfortunately, the archived articles require a membership, that I'm too lazy to get, to read.
some of us already knew about using the nasal passage to get 'small particles' across the blood-brain barrier . . ;)
*meep*
This is one of the undocumented features of the Homo Sapiens (not really Homo). Its like the nice 'to be discovered' things that come with DVDs. Unfortunately, someones now documenting it
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
Now I understand why Microsoft is installing software into our cars.
Mind-control exhaust fumes.
Remember Tobey Maguire reading the essay?
The latest Slashdot meme.
You'll find more details and references in this overview, including an article from the Guardian. So far, the story is about rats, but Professor Gunter Oberdorster of the University of Rochester in New York said: "It's too early to be alarmed, because we don't yet know what the particles might do in humans. We shouldn't stop working with them, we should just look for what adverse effects these particles might cause." Now, more experiments are needed to determine how nanoparticles can enter our brains. In the mean time, let's hope that nanotechnology research will continue and will not be harmed by a moratorium.
...why some people have shit for brains.
Need Free Juniper/NetScreen Support? JuniperForum
Next time someone farts near me they're liable to get a swift fist to the face.
Now there is a take on the story I am sure the BAR will be quite fond of... :-)
"It also makes for an interesting delivery mechanism for other substances"
O say like... cocaine?
Poor rat... ;-(
My other account has a 3-digit UID.
Think about it -- everything from kitty litter to wallboard dust is likely ending up inside the one's brain,
So that must be why I've been scratching up the furniture, licking myself and pissing to "mark my territory". One side benefit (other than the obvious one of licking oneself) is that I've been saving a TON of money on food!
Quod scripsi, scripsi.
For a moment there, I thought they entered throught the nose!
If your brain picks up what you smell then this proves that my brain truly is full of shit!
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
Please, don't start a huge tangent of creationism vs. evolution.
So, I wonder why we evolved (were given if you prefer) this "feature". Does this have anything to do with how we remember or compare smells? What about fossilized or mummified brains, can we gather information about the environment of earlier periods using this? What effect does this play on allergies? Just wondering.
www.facebook.com/DareDefendOurRights
www.fairtax.org
The Surgeon General issued a press release today advizing everyone to immediately become strictly mouth-breathers.
-
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
If the ladies can no longer breath through their noses, how does this bode for oral sex?
Am I the only one who is concerned that replacement females could become scarce if they are dying left and right from lack of oxygen?
This is a serious issue, perhaps we should just keep this bit of research to ourselves gentlemen.