Hiroshima scientists create transparent frogs
A research team led by professor Masayuki Sumida at Hiroshima University’s Institute for Amphibian Biology has created a type of transparent frog whose internal organs are visible through its skin. The researchers say the see-through frogs can help in the study of diseases and in the development of medical treatments by allowing laboratory scientists to check the status of internal organs and blood vessels while the frogs are alive and without having to dissect them.
According to Sumida, the transparent frog is the result of breeding two specimens of Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica) that had a genetic mutation giving them pale skin. By selectively breeding their offspring, the researchers were able to create a frog that remains transparent for its entire life cycle. Most of the world’s known transparent creatures live underwater, and transparent four-legged animals are extremely rare.
The researchers also say that by fusing the genes of fluorescent proteins to the frog’s genes, they can create frogs that glow. Glowing frogs can help scientists study specific “problem” genes by providing a real-time visual indication (i.e. the frogs glow) when those genes become active.
Professor Sumida says, “Transparent frogs will prove useful as laboratory animals because they make it easier and cheaper to observe the development and progress of cancer, the growth and aging of internal organs, and the effects of chemicals on organs.”
The results of the research will be announced at a meeting of the Zoological Society of Japan on September 22.
[Source: Iza!]
Poor frog though, although its beautiful it will be sacrificed for mankind.
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iFrog!
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that is one hell scary frog !
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Polly shouldn’t be!
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Cool!! Mr. Gates just got a new marketing scheme for his transparent Windows Vista..
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This is old…I already knew about this years ago.
But I think that’s because my cousin’s friend’s parents were the scientists in charge of it….Who knows. ANYWAYS, I still think it’s old news.
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I love this kind of things science must go on
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Through selective breeding, dictated by an environment that rewarded certain genetic traits (i.e. scientists), something novel came to exist?
OOOH, the creationists aren’t going to like this…
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lol, actually it dosint affect crationism at all man. Learn the differance of macroevolotuion & microevolution. =)
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Leave this world in PEACE.
Leave the creatures and plants ALONE!
Take your OWN bodies and experiment on Your OWN Bodies.
Evil and Inhumane beings… Where is the LOVE?
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If it weren’t for these inhumane experiments you wouldn’t have had the immunityshots that you took as a kid. Vaccinations that is. Alot of our food wouldn’t be sterilized, There’d be no conservatives and you’d have to buy fresh stuff from a farm, miles away out of town.
And yes, we’d wouldn’t have abolished many of the past epidemic diseases that existed and are to blame for millions of human deaths.
Wake up, if scientists can’t test on live organisms then what should they test on? robots? sorry but it doesn’t work that way.
You can happily volunteer your own body if you want, I’m sure scientists would prefer that because it would be 100% relevent to their study but laws prevent this.
Perhaps they should do tests on prisoners who’ve been sentenced to life or are in for murder etc – I agree with your cuddly, pokemon emotions but it’s either this or you can choose to move out to some remote place, away from civilisation and be a true treehugger instead of being a superconsumerist monster like the average joe.
^^
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I can’t wait until they can do this with humans.
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Mr. Frog!
I never knew frogs were full of gravel.
So…Bean Bag Frogs were true!!
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Kissing Transparant Frogs will make transparant Princes and produce transparant WARTS.
You’ll be able to read them like a book but won’t have to open it! You’ll see right through them when they tell transparant lies.
But, my questions are: Will they ever see themselves are they are in mirrors? Will it be clear to them about how they feel? Will their emotions show easily? Will it be easy for them to think clearly? Can they be elected to government positions so that their administration will be transparant. Could they possibly be clearly disatisified about all this attention?
Please get back to me and be clear about your opinions.
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Great… hope it helps to cure cancer..
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you know..it’s funny when i first saw this article I thought “Cool! now kids don’t have to harm frogs to see their internal organs” then the realization that they will be kept alive in order to observe deadly viruses and chemicals was kind of a joy kill for me.
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I’m sorry but they should not be allowed to get credit for this. Damn rip off japanese. http://www.growafrog.com/index.html for something that is exactly the same. The funny thing is this is available to the public for cheap, and I’ve known and had one back in the early 90s. Now I don’t exactly see japan stamped all over this, and the publicity they are getting for something “original” and never before seen is totally false. I hope you people read up on this and realize news is censored let alone occasionally accidentally inaccurate, but if Masayuki Sumida and Hiroshima University are openly claiming this theirs its a lie
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this is not natural this is sick to take an animal and breed it just for science how would u feel if we did this to you. ppl should get involved and stop these kind of things from hapening. please help our world not hurt it
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umm id like it actually
1st of all ud have to mate with another girl
2nd, u can be transparent
relax your ball sax max
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Wow. That’s really not that cool. I guess it kinda is but, not really. I feel bad for the frogs their little outcasts now.
Later
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the frog looks kinda gross,but its ok
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dont hurt the funky frogs!
how would you like it if we infected you with cancer or something like that, just to see if your organs did all sorts of sciency stuff i don’t know about?
dont intefere with nature, just sit back and admire it!
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It is a great advance. I believe that in the future the human beings they will be transparent, thus will be easier to fight the diseases and to make the surgeries. Imáginense a surgery to extract a bullet, or to see as it beats the heart of the fiancèe when one is touched with one; an event will be everything. Jairend@yahoo.com
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i belive that the frogs are a great way to study organs.but it is AWFUL to make new cratures.now y dont u try makeing the animals that are endangerd.that is someting that would help the world.
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the frogs are kool dont get me wrong.but it is complitly un natural.seriously make the animals that are endangerd!!!!
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its nice to know that japan created again another first in the history of craeting a transparent frog….i hope to see that personally here in the philippines…….
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buenu yu creu que es una falta de respetu hacia todas las ranas del mundu ….
esperu que se los cojan bien cojidos estos chinos que se tienen que morir un por un embadurnadus en cemen de cabaio
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I giggle at all the animal-rights hippies and “naturalists” condemning it. Humans, as animals, have every right to use and change their environment for their benefit. Perhaps those nature-lovers haven’t actually been in nature to see what cruel things animals do to eachother.
Maybe humans aren’t making the most effective use of their environment. This is true, and there are *real* ways of helping this and extending our species besides sitting and cooing at the little critters we’re leaving behind.
It seems the only way to satisfy those types of people is to remove all of mankind from the face of the planet. Except then they won’t be around to appreciate it. Which may be for the better.
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its really good to produce these transgenic chimeras for medical purpose, i wonder which method they used to produce it, embryonic stem cell mediated gene transfer or other?
looking forward to the progress of tansgenic chimeras.
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cute!
hahha
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i will report this news in science as my science article^^)>>>>
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OH MY GOSH! That is really awesome! Though he is a bit…em…different looking, I still think he’s cute ;-) He would get along well with the toads and frogs at my house..hehe.
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i think the point of making this frog is so they don’t have to kill it, therefore it will not be sacraficed and instead live a long life with free meals and central air
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…wheres the transparent human?
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The idea is clear. The frog looks naked hopeless not protected.
Better is to make crocodile transparent to be seen how the victum goes inside the body and digestion is more spectacular if the animnal is a big and tall.
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This is a horribal outcome
to find speceis are being tested for “special effects” makes
the word horrible come to my mind stop it guys stop it
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if we live to die than i beleive theres more to come
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I like frogs!
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frogs are my world! and the rock my underwear!
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