VOA慢速英语2009年-Health Report - Three Scientists Win Nobel

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Three scientists based in the United States have won the two thousand nine Nobel Prize for Physiology¹ or Medicine. They are being honored for their work in the nineteen eighties about the health of cells and the aging process.
　
Elizabeth Blackburn, left, and Carol Greider after receiving a science prize in Frankfurt, Germany, earlier this year

The winners are Elizabeth Blackburn from the University of California, San Francisco; Jack² Szostak from Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts and Carol Greider from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. They will share the one million four hundred thousand dollar prize.

The scientists' work begins with telomeres. These are like protective coverings on the ends of chromosomes⁴. Elizabeth Blackburn compares them to the plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces. She says without telomeres the chromosome³ and the genes⁵ it holds would come apart.

Telomeres are necessary for a cell to divide. They also are involved in directing the number of divisions.
　
Jack Szostak

Mizz Blackburn and Mister Szostak discovered the special system of genetic⁶ information in the telomeres that protects the chromosomes from ruin. Later, Mizz Blackburn and Mizz Greider discovered the substance in the body that builds telomeres. The scientists named the enzyme⁷ telomerase.

Their research showed that cells age if telomeres are shortened. But, cell death is delayed if a lot of the enzyme telomerase is produced.

Rune Toftgard is a Nobel Committee member from Sweden's Karolinska Institute. He says the work of telomeres is important to the understanding of how genetic material is copied and saved.

RUNE TOFTGARD: "All genes are encoded by DNA⁸ and the DNA is present in the chromosomes in the cell nucleus⁹ and telomeres, they are the ends of the chromosomes and they have an important function to protect the chromosomes and maintain the integrity of the chromosomes."

The telomere research expanded scientific knowledge about diseases and led to possible new treatments. For example, some research suggests that cancer cells use telomerase to grow uncontrollably. Some scientists are studying whether drugs that block the enzyme can help fight cancer.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver¹⁰. For more health news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. I'm Mario Ritter.

1 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

2 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 chromosome   

n.染色体

参考例句：

• Chromosome material with exhibits of such behaviour is called heterochromatin.表现这种现象的染色体物质叫做异染色质。
• A segment of the chromosome may become lost,resulting in a deletion.染色体的一个片段可能会丢失，结果产生染色体的缺失。

4 chromosomes   

n.染色体( chromosome的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Chromosomes also determine the sex of animals. 染色体也决定动物的性别。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Each of four chromosomes divide longitudinally. 四种染色体的每一种都沿着纵向分裂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

7 enzyme   

n.酵素，酶

参考例句：

• Above a certain temperature,the enzyme molecule will become unfolded.超过一定温度，酶分子将会展开。
• An enzyme that dissolves the fibrin of blood clots.能溶解血凝块中的纤维的酶。

8 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

9 nucleus   

n.核，核心，原子核

参考例句：

• These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
• These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。

10 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。