Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Lower bacterial diversity is associated with irritable bowel syndrome

People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have lower bacterial diversity in the intestine than do healthy people, according to a team of Korean investigators. The investigators believe that theirs is the first analysis to ...

Medical research

Can gut microbes impact chemotherapy? So far, the answer is 'yes'

Bacteria in our guts play a significant role in how we digest what we eat, and what we eat includes oral medications we take. But the gut microbiome's impact on drugs may be different from its impact on food because drugs ...

Obstetrics & gynaecology

New findings in the vaginal microbiome

A new study published in Human Reproduction shows that the menstrual phase has effects on the microbiome. "This will be very important for planning future studies, both in basic science and for interventions aiming to improve ...

Oncology & Cancer

Using sponges to wipe out cancer

A sponge found in Manado Bay, Indonesia, makes a molecule called manzamine A, which stops the growth of cervical cancer cells, according to a recent publication in the Journal of Natural Products submitted by researchers ...

Oncology & Cancer

Learning from extinction: New insights on controlling cancer

The earth is in the throes of a sixth mass extinction of species. Unlike those that preceded it, the current die-off is largely driven by human activity—the destruction of diverse habitats; the pollution of air, earth, ...

Species diversity

Species diversity is an index that incorporates the number of species in an area and also their relative abundance. It is generally a much more useful value than species richness.

The most common index of species diversity is a family of equations called Simpson's Diversity Index[1].

Here is one such example

D = (n / N)2

Where n is the total number of organisms of a particular species and N is the total number of organisms of all species.D is the value of diversity. It can range between 0 and 1, whre 1 is the richest an Ecosystem can possibly be.

Humans have a huge effect on species diversity; the main reasons are: - Destruction, Modification, and/or Fragmentation of Habitat - Introduction of Exotic Species - Overharvest - Global Climate Change

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA