It’s that time of the year again… grocers are busy weighing kuttu ka aata; sil laddoos and vrat chips packets taking up plum spot on display; fruit vendors are enjoying their newfound status and people are postponing socialising – Navratras are here! One of the major North Indian celebrations, navratras are significant socially, religiously and to some extent scientifically… here …

Heartburn is caused by the uterus pushing against the stomach, forcing acid into the oesophagus. Here are a few points to keep in mind while planning a diet for yourself. Lemonade or ‘nimbu paani’ with honey makes a refreshing drink at any time of the day. Try eating small but frequent meals. Do not be on an empty stomach for …

Vampire bats are dangerous because they carry rabies and other diseases and infect their victims as they suck the blood which is their only food. Vampire bats (Desmodontidae) are found only in South and Central America. They have extremely sharp teeth and pierce the skin of their prey so gently that the victim does not awaken. Blood is drawn into …

Smooth muscle is found in the digestive system, bladder, and blood vessels. It works automatically, even when we asleep. Skeletal or striated muscle is different because we can control it at will. It covers our bones and is used to move them.

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was a Russian physiologist, psychologist, and physician. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904 for research pertaining to the digestive system. Pavlov is widely known for first describing the phenomenon of classical conditioning. Pavlov contributed to many areas of physiology and neurology. Most of his work involved research in temperament, conditioning and …

Saga — Adenanthera pavonina (Barbados pride, Coral-wood, Coralwood, Peacock flower fence, Red beadtree, Red sandalwood tree, Red sandalwood, Sandalwood tree; syn. Adenanthera gersenii Scheff., Adenanthera polita Miq., Corallaria parvifolia Rumph.) is a timber tree. This plant is found in the wild in India, where in each language it has its own name (for example in Kerala it is known as …

Pokeweed — The pokeweeds, also known as poke, pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, polk salad, polk sallet, inkberry or ombú, comprise the genus Phytolacca, perennial plants native to North America, South America, East Asia and New Zealand. Pokeweed contains phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccigenin, which are poisonous to mammals. However, the berries are eaten by birds, which are not affected by the toxin because …

Honey Locust — The Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America. It is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys ranging from southeastern South Dakota to New Orleans and central Texas, and as far east as central Pennsylvania. Honey locusts can reach a height of 20–30 m (66–100 ft), with fast growth, …

Guereza — The Mantled Guereza (Colobus guereza), also known simply as the Guereza, the Eastern Black-and-white Colobus, or the Abyssinian Black-and-white Colobus, is a colobus monkey, a kind of Old World monkey. It is native to much of west central and east Africa, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Chad. This black-and-white colobus species grows to about 18-28 …

Hyena — Hyenas or Hyænas are moderately large terrestrial carnivores native to Africa, Arabia, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. They are members of the family Hyaenidae. The family comprises four species, the Aardwolf, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, and Striped Hyena. Although hyenas bear some physical resemblance to canids, they make up a separate biological family that is most closely related …