The next time you stub your toe, get pricked with a needle, or have your fingers jammed in the lid of a piano, you might pause to consider the marvellous way our bodies are able to heal such injuries.
As soon as the damage occurs, a range of different molecules in our bodies are activated and begin their jobs. These work to stem any bleeding, patch up breaks in the skin, signal our immune system to keep the wound clean, and initiate the longer-term repair process.
One such molecule is known as bradykinin. It is shared by all vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish. But it is also present in the venoms of some wasps and the toxic skin secretions of some frogs. These apparent inconsistencies in the distribution and function of bradykinin have puzzled scientists for decades.
In a new study published in Science, my colleagues and I reveal why bradykinin is in some venoms and how it got there. The answer shines a light on what has, until now, been an underappreciated feature of evolution, which suggests life is not so random after all.
…
Read the full article on Nspirement
Comments