Why does hair turn white?
The colour of our hair stems from a pigment called melanin that’s produced by stem cells called melanocytes. They reside in our hair follicles. Under stressful situations, nerve cells release a hormone called norepinephrine, which can destroy these cells. The loss of hair colour appears to be closely related to the human aging process which unfortunately, scientists haven’t yet discovered how to halt.
Source: Davidson-Weissman
Is it memory loss?
Loss of memory is more about not paying attention than cognitive deficits. When experiencing a dramatic memory lapse, or cognitive changes that aren’t normal the investigative pathway would be a visit to a memory clinic. In the meantime, keeping your brain doing new things like learning a language , a new song or reading a book can be beneficial for you as well.
Source: The Guardian
What’s your biological age?
Scientists are working to a person’s “biological age” by looking at their cellular health instead of counting how many years they’ve been alive.
Biological age is deemed to be useful for predicting longevity as it looks at “the accumulation of damage we can measure in our body,” claims Dr. Andrea Britta Maier, co-director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore.
Source: New York Times
What makes urine yellow?
The enzyme that has long eluded us is known as bilirubin reductase. Bilirubin is an orange pigment released by red blood cells after they die. This discovery goes beyond the origin of urine colour however, researchers found that, while bilirubin reductase is present in healthy adults, there is a deficit in newborns and adults with inflammatory bowel disease. This could influence future treatments.
Source: ARS Technica
