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(单词翻译)
This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. This will just take a minute.
Pregnant women shouldn't drink. It's become gospel, because of the danger of fetal alcohol spectrum1 disorder2. Alcohol can disturb the normal development of a fetus3, leading to a lifetime of learning disabilities and social problems. But the percentage of children born with the disorder has remained constant, despite the warnings. And not all fetuses4 of drinking mothers suffer.
Now research with rats has shown why some fetuses are naturally protected. Which could lead to ways to protect the vulnerable ones. The work is in the FASEB Journal.
The key is a gene5 called Dio3, which governs the levels of thyroid hormone6 in the brain. If mom passes on a normal Dio3, no problem. And a male fetus that inherits a problem Dio3 variation from mom but a normal Dio3 from dad should be okay. But alcohol can stop dad's normal Dio3 gene from working. Now mom's bad Dio3 allows the brain to be flooded with thyroid hormone, damaging the hippocampus.
The hope is that gene screening could ID women whose fetuses would be at-risk, and that dietary supplements or drugs could block alcohol's effect. And keep a child from suffering from a parent's addiction7.
Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American's 60-Second Science, I'm Steve Mirsky.
1 spectrum | |
n.谱,光谱,频谱;范围,幅度,系列 | |
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2 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
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3 fetus | |
n.胎,胎儿 | |
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4 fetuses | |
n.胎,胎儿( fetus的名词复数 ) | |
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5 gene | |
n.遗传因子,基因 | |
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6 hormone | |
n.荷尔蒙,激素,内分泌 | |
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7 addiction | |
n.上瘾入迷,嗜好 | |
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