Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026

26:41
Perspectives on Neuroscience
Published on: July 31, 2007
Abstract:
In 1956, the JCI published an article by Vincent Dole on a method for titrating plasma fatty acids that uncovered the importance of fatty acids as a substrate for glucose metabolism. When asked to prepare a historical perspective on this very popular paper, I paid Dole a visit and we reminisced. His answer to my question of how he came to do this work on plasma fatty acids was: "Well, one thing leads to another." Let me remind the reader of what "things" were like in 1956 and how they might have related to Dole's important contribution.
Related Concept Videos
Social Proof
Social proof is a form of persuasion based on comparison and conformity. People compare their behavior and actions to what others are doing and will change to conform to do what their peers do.
Cause and Effect
While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
Conformity
Conformity is the change in a person’s behavior to go along with the group, even if that person does not agree with the group.
Consecutive Reactions
Consecutive reactions involve a sequence where the product of a preceding reaction becomes the reactant for the subsequent one. In a simple scheme, A transforms into B, which further reacts to form C, with rate constants k1 and k2, respectively. This concept is evident in the radioactive decay series. Assuming an initial state with only A present, the conservation of matter leads to three coupled differential equations, determining the concentrations of A, B, and C over time.The rate of change...
Infection
When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
Intracellular Signaling Cascades
Once a ligand binds to a receptor, the signal is transmitted through the membrane and into the cytoplasm. The continuation of a signal in this manner is called signal transduction. Signal transduction only occurs with cell-surface receptors, which cannot interact with most components of the cell, such as DNA. Only internal receptors can interact directly with DNA in the nucleus to initiate protein synthesis. When a ligand binds to its receptor, conformational changes occur that affect the...
