Tadpoles subjected to certain chemicals glow!

           Several groups of environmentalists and scientists were getting concerned for the welfare of a few species of water dwelling creatures.  They had become concerned about some types of chemicals interfering with these species' hormonal systems.

           What they were searching for was proof that chemicals in some water sources nearby were limiting the ability to use certain hormones in several species.  They came up with a different startling discovery instead.

           They found that some types of tadpoles gave of light when they were in a hostile environment.  These tadpoles sensed that the chemicals in the water around them were interfering with their thyroid hormones and making it hard to grow.  As a result, they became bioluminescent!

                Thyroid is a very important hormone to growth.  It is a part of brain and body development along with aging.  If there wasn't thyroid, the tadpoles would not become frogs.  It also interferes with the hormones needed for some species of fish to change their gender.  Some species of fish actually do change their gender!  These fish do that to get the highest reproductive rate possible.  The hostile chemicals, (weed killers or fertilizers) make it so they cannot change gender to get the highest amount of children into the environment.  Thankfully this indicator species is there to tell us when there is too much chemicals in the water.

Tristin Stanley

link:  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=transgenic-tadpole-glows-to-reveal-chemical-contamination

NOS themes:  Role of credibility (It must be a reliable source that the information comes from.),

Science is based on evidence (You can't just say tadpoles glow when they are in certain chemicals, you have to have proof!),  Repeatability (The results and conditions must be repeatable so that others could make conclusions themselves.  If nobody else can get results you lose the part about evidence.)