Worms Making Babies

This article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/science/19obworm.html?_r=1&ref=science

    It’s incredible that much of what we learned about the human body has actually been through experiments done on other animals. One of the most popular experimental subjects in modern science is the worm. And according to a new study, the worm has provided some fresh insight into human fertility. In addition to regular aging, women also exhibit reproductive aging. Through the worm experiments, researchers have found why reproductive ability and egg quality decrease as women age—it appears to be due to the “increased secretion of a protein called transforming growth factor beta, or TFG-beta.”
   
    This is a nice, clear and concise story written by Sindya Bhanoo. The science is explained quite well, the lead is effective with its immediate mention of declining reproductive ability in early 30’s (and it’s humorous with the mention of Botox), and the scientist’s quotes are engaging. Towards the end, Bhanoo begins to discuss an important idea: the ability of medicine to actually extend women’s reproductive lifespans. She could have included this sentence, “this kind of research may eventually provide the knowledge to extend female fertility, Dr. Murphy said,” a little earlier in the story because it is so important; but the story is short enough that it works itself in smoothly as it is. The last sentence summarized the protein experiments with the worms. It’s a solid ending because it gives the reader a feeling that we are getting somewhere with this research but we still have a long way to go: “Although their reproductive ability increased, their life span did not, and reproducing in old age—13 days for the worms—was fatal.”