Biodiversity in India

After the green and white revolution, India is heading toward blue revolution for the preservation of biodiversity.

Peafowl
Wikimedia Commons by Jebulon

In a meeting of Agricultural Biodiversity Congress, India emphasized its own importance in geographical diversity and different climate/ environmental zones.

India has rich and diverse biodiversity. There are deserts in the West and humid climate in the East. There are the Great Himalayas in the North and deep seas in the South.

In India, there are more than 47,000 species of plant species or flora and more than 89,000 species of animals.

The total length of coastline in India is above 81,000 Km.

It is strange that global landmass in India is mere 2.5%, but it houses 17% of world population, 18% flora and fauna of the world, and has taken 6.5% of the total global biodiversity in its lap.

The challenges will increase in the future. At present, it is necessary to conduct research and give importance to agricultural biodiversity for the global food security, nutrition, health, and environmental protection. 

Rearing Crops in Space Station

American space agency NASA has developed a new technique.  The scientists have claimed to grow the first crop at APH, the Advanced Plant Habitat.

Plant Growth Experiment
Wikimedia Commons by NASA

As per reports this first crop is a small species of wheat and a flower plant Arabidopsis.

APH was established in space in 2017. The Project Director Brian Onett said that besides growing small plants, the quality of seeds could also be developed at APH. This is a big achievement of agriculture in space.

 It is believed that this research would provide fine quality nutritious food to those astronauts who work on ISS missions at space for longer durations.

Both the seeds were sown at APH in February 2017. The crops were taken care of by an automatic tool Farmer, known as Plant Habitat Avionics Real Time Manager. APH has been so designed that it develops a necessary environment for the plants to grow in space. 

Avoid Excess Carbohydrates for Cancer Recurrence

The excessive intake of carbohydrates and sugar increase the risks of the recurrence of cancer among the patients of head or throat cancer. These risks may lead to untimely death. So it is advisable to avoid the excessive intake of carbohydrates after cancer Therapy.

Carbohydrates
Wikimedia Commons by Knutux

This link of carbohydrates and sugar with cancer has recently been found in a recent research conducted by the scientists.

It was found that the risks of death increased among those patients taking excessive amounts of carbohydrates and sugar in the form of fructose, lactose, and maltose.

The research included more than 400 patients. Out of these more than 17% of the patients reported the recurrence of cancer, while 42% of them died

The Professors conduced a research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They found that a difference in the type and stages of cancer was more among those taking carbohydrates than those reducing the intake of it. 

On the other hand, the risks of recurrence of cancer and the resultant death after the treatment becomes least with the intake of fewer fats, grains, and starch foods like potatoes. 

Carbohydrates are the organic compounds that consist only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.