Griselinia is a genus of seven species of shrubs and trees, with a highly disjunct distribution native to New Zealand and South America. It is a classic example of the Antarctic flora.

It is the sole genus in the family Griseliniaceae; in the past it was often placed in the Cornaceae (dogwood family, order Cornales), but differs from that in many features; recent genetic evidence from the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has shown that it is correctly placed in the Apiales.

The leaves are evergreen, smooth and glossy above, often paler below. The flowers are very small, with five sepals and stamens and a single stigma, but no petals. The fruit is a small berry.

More on [ Griselinia ]

PLoS Medicine: New Articles

Why Current Publication Practices May Distort Science
John Ioannidis and colleagues argue that the current system of publication in biomedical research provides a distorted view of the reality of scientific data.
Faecal and Urinary Incontinence after Multimodality Treatment of Rectal Cancer
Marilyne Lange and Cornelis van de Velde discuss the differential diagnosis and management of incontinence after rectal cancer treatment.
SLC2A9 Is a High-Capacity Urate Transporter in Humans
Mark Caulfield and colleagues show that the SLC2A9 gene, which encodes a facilitative glucose transporter, is also a high-capacity urate transporter.

EurekAlert! - Biology

Astrocytes and synaptic plasticity
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Rockefeller University Press) By mopping up excess neurotrophic factor from neuronal synapses, astrocytes may finely tune synaptic transmission to affect processes such as learning and memory, say Bergami et al. Their report is published in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Body's anti-HIV drug explained
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(University of Southern California) Study in journal Nature reveals atomic structure of enzyme capable of repelling HIV virus, suggesting new approach for drug development.
Pectin power
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Norwich BioScience Institutes) Scientists from the UK's Institute of Food Research have found a new possible explanation for why people who eat more fruit and vegetables may gain protection against the spread of cancers.They have shown that a fragment released from pectin, found in all fruits and vegetables, binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3, a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression.

Subscribe to Biology RSS feed