Archive for the ‘Biosciences’ Category

Latitudes animal

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

sciences-images109Seven of the best wildlife photographers in Europe participate in the second edition of Latitudes animal, animal photography exhibition, which runs from April 8 to 13, 2010 at Drancy. This year’s chosen theme is “Biodiversity in town. Visitors will admire this photograph of Louis-Marie Awning representing a snowy owl.

sciences-images110In his approach, Michael Wolf is always looking for the angle and the light that transfigure reality, from simple elements of nature, opening the doors to imagination and dreams.

sciences-images111The female snow leopard was photographed from a tent to watch 45 m. It is quite exceptional to find so close and in good light of this mythical animal and extremely difficult to observe.

sciences-images112For Christine and Franck Dziubak , observe wildlife and flora, to study the behavior of the species, photograph them, represent a lifestyle. Their photographic work allows them to share the mysteries of a tropical nature with rich yet fragile and growing threats on many species of them unfortunately are privileged witnesses.

sciences-images113Jean-Christophe Vincent puts all his free time used to find his first love, insects, it continues in their natural environments for over 10 years. Everything he learned in the field of patience, observation, humbled by this amazing little world, he implements during his long hours of scouting, of Baillebaude to capture a few seconds and beauty behavior in this encounter photography. Here, the bee gathers pollen from a flower Altea and pollen grains.

sciences-images114Mountaineer at heart, Eric is passionate Dragesco fauna of the Alps, and spends all his free time to roam the mountain. Attracted by the endangered species and very little photographed, he made between 1998 and 2008, nine trips to Mongolia in search of some of the rarest mammals on the planet, the Gobi bear, snow leopard, wild camel …

sciences-images115The sheep that live in the Pamirs is the largest member of this family, but also the rarest and most difficult to approach: the herd of male was photographed at 4900 m above sea level in Tajikistan, after a long approach to good wind …

sciences-images116Frank Fox has made a series of photos on the black grouse and capercaillie. As can be seen in this photo, the black grouse loves bogs. He likes to show off to get noticed.

sciences-images117Like the bumblebee, bee plays an important role in plant reproduction. In this picture, we see a bee flitting silhouette poppies.

sciences-images118For Frank Fox, contemplate a free animal without disturbing it is the ultimate gesture of reconciliation. An ethical ideal, too, for the respect of the animal is superimposed the desire to make everyone aware of the beauty and fragility of our environment.

sciences-images119Pictures of animals in urban Laurent Geslin show how wildlife modifies its strategies for survival against the endless extension of our cities. They also show that one can obtain fascinating images without travel the world and increase our CO2 footprint.

sciences-images120Michael Wolf was submerged in the waters of some lakes still mysterious, to meet the fish and frogs and toads also to immortalize their love. These emblematic species of European wetlands also symbolize the photographer the increasing fragility of these habitats face behavior more irrational of the human species.

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The sinking of the Erika

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

a53Caught in a storm, the Maltese tanker Erika, chartered by Total, broke in two, December 12, 1999, south-west Penmarc’h in Finistere. That was two days he struggled against winds of force 8 and 6 meter waves. The crew was safely evacuated by helicopters from the Navy helped by reinforcements from the Royal Navy.

a54Nearly 20 000 tonnes of fuel (about 37 000 in tanks of oil) are discharged into the sea after several days adrift, groundwater reaching the French coast from December 24.

a55Balls and oil slicks invade the beaches of Brittany to the Charente-Maritime.

a56From the first balls on the sand, the inhabitants of the areas concerned to join forces to go and clean beaches. A daunting task: oil glue seeps around the rocks, spreads for miles and miles. Quickly, the rising anger also vis-a-vis Total charterer of the Erika, trash that boat.

a57The sinking of the Erika has caused many injuries. Economics for the affected communes (fears for tourism in particular), but mainly environmental. The marine flora and fauna have been severely affected. The birds have paid a heavy price: between 150 000 and 300 000 birds have died because of oil (picture: a guillemot).

a5880% of birds died due to pollution from the Erika were guillemots (photo), like a little penguin who spends all his time at sea as it seeks its food by “flying” underwater. The first bird found failed to December 14 Lesconil in Brittany, was also a guillemot. He was immediately transferred to the care center LPO Ile Grande, in the Cotes d’Armor. There is no more in France than 150 pairs of guillemots, confined to the northern coast of Brittany.

a59The Bird Protection League has been extremely active to treat and save the species affected. She had 24 health centers, transit and collection during the disaster.

a60A year after the disaster, the LPO is the balance: it is estimated that 65 000 birds oiled dead or alive (and hailed as treatment centers) were collected since December 1999.

a61On January 19, 2000, the first birds were released at the Great Island: 45 guillemots, gannets 5 (photo) and 7 and gulls.

a62In January 2002, the LPO filed a complaint with a civil claim against X, with the Correctional Court of Paris, in charge of the case. The association seeks compensation for his pecuniary (residual expenditure) for moral damage and environmental damage (damage to the birds and ecosystems). Photo: gannets pool in a health center.

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A giant squid in the Museum of Paris

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

a65Giant Squid
The Great Gallery of Evolution of the Museum of Natural History in Paris hosted the March 25, a new host unusual: a giant squid stuffed by 6.5 meters long. A world premiere.

a66Eyes bigger than stomach
Wheke is a gift from the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Limited in the Museum of Natural History in Paris. He was caught January 27, 2000 off New Zealand by 615 meters deep.

a67As in the wild
The plastination technique, first applied to a specimen as large as the giant squid, has to present it as in its natural environment and not, as in most other museums in the world, in formaldehyde.

a68Two years on an operating table
Plastination, carried out by an Italian laboratory, lasted more than two years. The squid was first dried completely, then a hardening plastic resin was injected into the body of the animal. Transactions that have requested “large” means: a giant dissecting table, a giant syringe or design of a machine (Giant, of course), allowing up to stretch the tentacles of squid.

a69Tentacles and suckers
Plastination squid called the recovery of 300 cups endomagées formalin in which the animal was kept. His original bill was replaced and false eyes were posed to him.

a70Abyssal plains
The giant squid is exposed in the “abyssal plains” of the Grand Gallery of Evolution. It joins the 7000 other species already described.

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Southern treasure of biodiversity

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

a50Southern treasure of biodiversity
Kicking off the International Year of Biodiversity was given January 22. An extremely serious view of the mass extinction of new species every year. Lands French Southern still seem unaffected by this phenomenon. Look! This penguin is at home among his thousands of congeners.

a51Break tenderness of black-browed albatross
The black-browed albatross takes up residence in the Kerguelen Islands (South Indian Ocean). Its 2.5 meter wingspan does not go unnoticed for this species of albatross most observed. It is recognizable by its small mask eyepiece which earned him the name of black browed albatrosses.

a52Alone in the world?
This small piece of land the French Mozambique Channel (Indian Ocean) is a hotbed of scientific research. Four times a year, researchers are studying the ecosystem and make an inventory of species unearthed. This area is particularly protected from pollution.

a53Penguins who do not take up
Lovers of animation films will recognize this case presents in “Happy Feet”. The rockhopper penguin is named after its way of moving by leaps and bounds because of his feet together. Its yellow-crested small feathers around the eyes, apart from other species of rockhopper penguins.

a54Majestic yellow-nosed albatross
This species of albatross recognizable by its yellow bill lives on the island of Amsterdam. Since the 70s, the number of colonies on the island are declining. Scientists explain this decrease in mortality at sea due to interactions with the fishery and mortality on land due to predation of eggs and chicks by rats and other viral agents.

a55Spectacular waterfalls

These amazing waterfalls freshwater flow directly into the cold southern waters. The Crozet Islands are composed of five volcanic islands where the rainfall is significant, nearly 2,500 mm per year (300 days of rain per year).

a56Settling of accounts between elephant seals
These two “giants” do not hesitate to settle on the beach of the Kerguelen Islands (Southern Indian Ocean). Elephant seals are the most impressive seals. They can make very long trips and stay submerged very long.

a57Heaven on earth
Glorioso Islands are located at the northern tip of Madagascar (Indian Ocean). These two volcanic islands are surrounded by a coral reef. In some places, it emerges as rocks.

a58Family Portrait of Emperor penguins
Aptenodytes forsteri is the best known of all the penguins and was even the hero of a world-renowned documentary. The emperor penguin is an endemic species that are found only on the frozen continent: Antarctica. It measures 1.25 m high.

a59Amsterdam A sea lion stands guard
The seal of Amsterdam is known for subantarctic fur seal. The colonies of marine organisms that live on islands near the Antarctic Convergence. Their number is estimated at nearly 400 000.

a60En route to the sea
This little green turtle has just come into being and it does not yet know that his days are numbered. Between birds and marine predators, the turtle has little chance to survive.

a61Arriving at Amsterdam Island
The “Marion Dufresne” is a French ship whose home port is the island of Reunion. It is the shuttle and ensures the supply of those missions on the islands whose southern French island of Amsterdam.

a62Normal flight to Amsterdam albatross
The Amsterdam albatross is a species endemic to the southern island. Researchers have identified only 15 couples. Breeding give birth at best every two years, where the fragility of this bird.

a63Anse de Saint Paul
In this picture, we find the ship “Marion Dufresne” to the large island of St. Paul. It is only 5 km from long. It belongs to the Southern and Antarctic with the French islands of Amsterdam, Kerguelen, Crozet, scattered islands and Adelie Land.

a64Saving biodiversity
To study and identify biodiversity, scientists go there and make as many comments here where they measure the size of a juvenile green turtle off the coast of Glorioso Islands in the Indian Ocean.

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“The invisible invaders” of our daily

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

a9Ant
Close incredible head ant. Scientists estimate that 10 million the number of billions of ants living on earth. There were only 12 000 species, there were 10 000 more.

a10Cockroach
Cockroach, cockroach or cockroaches, all these names describe the very charming cockroach. For hundreds of millions of years, this animal lives a life close to that of humans. Of the 4 000 species listed, a fifty share their lives with ours, to our great misfortune.

a11Tarnished
It is usually found refuge in bedding and emits a foul odor when bruised. The “bed bugs” drinks the human blood for more than ten minutes. It identifies his next victims through a highly developed sense of smell that captures the breath of a person he perceives as the heat from the body.

a12Weevil
The insect pictured above is a weevil “Sitophilus granarius. It is usually found in the kitchen cabinets of homes and apartments in search of grain.

a13BulletAble to leap to a height comparable to the Eiffel Tower on a human scale, the chip is an insect that feeds exclusively on human blood, blood of mammals and birds in general. Entomologists have identified about 2 500 species on earth.

a14Mite
The moth “moth-eaten cloth is responsible for the holes you find in your favorite textiles. These mites are in fact highly persistent moths. Only way to get rid of: to take the air to your clothes.

a15Pou
They swarmed by dozens on our head but also all over our bodies, where there are hairs. The louse is a blood-sucking animal very tough and it is difficult to remove. Its bite is memorable because of the itching they cause.

a16Pegleg
The cockroach is an animal species with terrestrial but also aquatic. That we meet in homes is the “Oniscus asellus. It lives in damp, shady corners, feeding on fungi and organic debris.

a17Dard
Beautiful closeup of a bee sting. It is indented for, well, better penetration into the flesh of his victim. The bee stings, not to attack but to defend his colony at work.

a18Tick
Focus on the head of a tick. We see clearly the rostrum of the animal. By joining the mouthparts, the animal forms a pen that penetrates the skin and allows fresh blood to suck. Ticks are vectors of serious diseases such as Lyme borreliosis. They are the third parasitic scourge in the world.

a19Silverfish
Visible to the naked eye, the shiny silverfish measure several tens of millimeters. He lives in the wetlands of the houses can be seen come out of hiding in bathrooms, laundries or other pantry. He eats all possible debris present in a dwelling.

a20Morpion
Because of its location, the louse is an animal inglorious for his guest. It is often synonymous with a person with poor hygiene or worse, a person with loose morals. The louse is reproduced at high speed, the female lays dozens of eggs per day.

a21Tsetse
Focus on tsetse fly more known fly “tsetse”. In pink, biting mouthparts of the fly by which she inoculates sleeping sickness.

a22Sting
Image of ant sting completely bloodied. All species of ants are not equipped, the most aggressive are those of South America. Their bite requires special medical treatment.

a23Mite
Above we see a mite pest of foliage, not to be confused with that of the dust responsible for numerous allergies in humans. Why? One gram of dust contains thousands. Scientists estimate that more than 50 000, the number of species of mites

a24Mosquito
They are the wounds of our hot summer nights. Who? Mosquitoes. Generally, there is always someone who gets stung more than others. These insects use their trunks stitcher-sucker, like that above, to feed on the blood of their victims.

a25Termite
Some buildings are the costs of these devastating insects. Termites are wood-eating animals, that they like wood. They literally punch holes in the foundation which weakens homes.

a26Beetle
The woodworm “furniture” owe their name to multiple round holes they leave in the beams and other wooden furniture. These insects lay eggs in cracks, the larvae nibble, then the wood during their growth.

a27Beetle
The Beetle are organisms that eat anything and everything that passes under their paw. Hair, dead skin, fabrics, feathers … Act of feasting.

a28Beetle
These insects attack all materials both plants and animals. The larvae are recognized by their hairy appearance and their powerful mandibles.

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Head to head with insects

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

zzzz76Bombyx


The mulberry is famous for its caterpillars, the silkworm. The butterfly does not fly and not feeding. It is the only truly domesticated insect man, he no longer live in the wild.

zzzz77Bee

This solitary bee burrow into the soil a gallery divided into cubicles that caters pollen before they lay their eggs. His long tongue allows it to reach the nectar at the end of the corolla.

zzzz78Owl butterfly

This large butterfly of the rainforest thrives on rotting fruit, sap or liquid that draws on corpses or feces. It is distinguished only when it is resting on a trunk.

zzzz79Weevil

The scaly patches of this weevil return all the colors of the rainbow sky. By hiding the shape of her body and they serve as camouflage amid the lush tropical vegetation.

zzzz82Bluebottle

We do not like this fly because it lays on the meat. Yet its role in nature is essential: by eating the corpses, their larvae, maggots, help recycle organic matter. Transformed into humus, it can then be used by plants.

zzzz83Cetonia

The green color of this flower beetle is due to the withdrawal of light on thin slices stacked in the thickness of the shell. Its larva is a large white worm that lives in soil and eat the wood rotted.

zzzz84Lamp Holder

To frighten his enemies, fly coffee Guiana abruptly dismisses her wings and sets the two huge “eyes” of its hind wings.

zzzz85Grasshopper

The conocephale common reed wetlands vegetation to tall reeds, sedges, grasses and weeds.

zzzz87Ant

The red ants protect the forest by removing trees from their insect pests. They are protected because their nests are threatened by fires and forest degradation.

zzzz88Polyommatus daphnis

It is a butterfly from 18 to 19 mm wingspan. It lives in dry grasslands. His trunk dredge consists of two contiguous grooves in a flexible tube.

zzzz89Tarnished harlequin

Mating takes several hours, then we see them move on umbels tied in pairs by the abdomen.

zzzz90Butterfly disparate

This butterfly is called “disparate” because adults are very different: the large white female can not fly, while the male, and small brown flies well. The caterpillar on his forehead bears two black spots resembling eyes.

zzzz91False hornet

Syrphids by their colors, their flight buzzing often imitate the perfection of wasps or bees. Although harmless, they are so afraid to predators who are wary of poisonous insects.

zzzz92Phasme

These chewing insects mimic plants they eat. Similar to a smooth or spiny branch, or a leaf, stick insects can remain motionless for hours in blending perfectly with their environment.

zzzz93Weevil Madagascar

The weevils carry their antennae and chewing mouthparts at the end of a long snout or trunk. They feed on all plants. The smallest is 1 mm long and the largest, 7 cm.

zzzz94Capricorn

The horned beetles or are identified by their very long antennae. The larvae bore into the wood. The beautiful colors of these Sternotomis Africa are due to end down colored scales covering their shells.

zzzz95Horsefly

The adults feed on nectar and pollen but the female must also make blood meal to ensure the maturation of its eggs. They bite mostly cows and horses, rarely men.

zzzz96Tarnished

The smell of bugs like the taste of whiskey are due to the same substance: trans-2-hexenal. The bright colors, red and black, this insect warn predators that it is inedible.

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World of Microbes

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

zzzz40Salmonella

zzzz41Microbe

This beautiful photograph, neutrophils (green), cells that defend the front line the body against intruders, engulf the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes. This mecanislme called phagocytosis. This bacterium is the cause of angina red.
Salmonella is responsible for many diseases including typhoid fever, which continues to wreak havoc in poor countries. The majority of these bacteria are found in foods and cause major digestive problems.

zzzz42HIV

In this picture, HIV (red) is now sprouting on lymphocytes, cells of the protective agency. This virus is the cause of AIDS, a disease that destroys the human immune system.

zzzz43Ebola

The Ebola virus is extremely virulent and attack both apes and humans. This virus is transmitted through bodily fluids and leads to destruction of the liver and kidneys. The patient died of massive bleeding.

zzzz44Clostridium

This bacteria or bacilli (rod shaped) is found naturally in the intestinal flora of man. But when it is weakened, the bacteria grows and secretes two toxins responsible for acute diarrhea.

>zzzz45Tuberculosis

High fever, night sweats, persistent cough with expectoration of blood, here are the symptoms of tuberculosis, a disease caused by tubercle bacillus. The means of preventing infection is to get vaccinated is the famous BCG.

zzzz46Anthrax

It caused panic in the U.S. just after September 11, 2001. The anthrax or anthrax is caused by Bacillus antracis a highly pathogenic bacteria and ultimately lethal. It attacks both skin, the respiratory or digestive

zzzz47Legionellosis

The Legionella bacteria are naturally present in water. They are growing massively at temperatures between 25 and 42 ° C. Most pathogens produce, among those most vulnerable, severe pulmonary insufficiency, Legionnaires’ disease.

zzzz48Influenza A

There is much talk about him now, the H1N1 virus responsible for a form of flu so virulent. there is another strain of influenza that, taken in time, causes the death of the patient.

zzzz49MRSA

Staphylococcus aureus is the bacterium that is present in most hospitals and is responsible for many nosocomial infections. This bacterium is often resistant to antibiotics so difficult to eradicate.

zzzz50E.coli

Escherichia coli is a bacteria present in the intestinal flora of man to allow digestion. It speaks of commensalism. This bacterium can grow abnormally and cause, among other things, gastro-enteritis and urinary tract infections.

zzzz51Avian

Each winter, influenza virus is being talked about. It infects millions of French, it’s the flu, of course. Even today, this disease can be treated relatively well, it still kills nearly 2 000 people per year in France, especially the most vulnerable.

zzzz52Measles

Parents fear it yet inescapable: the measles virus will hit your little darlings. The virion belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae which includes the mumps.

zzzz53Streptococcus C



C streptococcus is not the family of the most virulent streptococci (there are seven in total). We can fight it with an injection of penicillin, a powerful antibiotic.

zzzz54H5N1

Influenza A spear him, right now, but the star bird flu is still there. He is responsible for the decimation of many birds, the H5N1 virus. Transmission to humans can occur but also between men.

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