January 6, 2009
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm10 Lessons Medicine Can Learn from Bears
From osteoporosis to heart disease to pregnancy, there's a lot bears are teaching scientists
By Constanza Villalba
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
People who are bedridden for months at a time may develop brittle bones and become weak as their muscles wither with inactivity. Hibernating bears, meanwhile, emerge from their dens ready to forage and fight—bones and muscles intact—despite four to seven months of virtual immobility. These and other physiologic feats achieved during hibernation have long held the attention of wildlife biologists, but physicians may soon take notice, too, as ursine research begins to offer insight on medical dilemmas.
View Slide Show of Bear Research Findings
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
