Humboldt and Darwin belonged to different generations and their approaches to the study of nature differed. However, they had something in common: their lives were shaken up and changed course after their respective journeys, which marked the starting point of their fruitful scientific careers.

From the seventeenth century on, problems in physics became the object of careful study. The expeditions were made to acquire otherwise unobtainable data, needed to study specific problems in physics.

In the late eighteenth century, the Spanish Crown, like other monarchies, began promoting expeditions which, as well as laying claim on the territories visited, compiled studies and catalogues of their natural resources. On their return, however, most members of these expeditions met with misunderstanding and neglect by the very institutions that had promoted the mission.

Between 1716 and 1717, Joan Salvador i Riera, an apothecary from Barcelona and Antoine de Jussieu, a professor of botany at Le Jardin du Roi in Paris, travelled the roads of Spain and Portugal, sometime by calash, sometimes on mule back, to make «botanical observations». This article provides a brief overview of the Salvador family and a glimpse of the journey made by these two naturalists.

Every journey, even the most trivial, has an element of discovery, both in terms of discovering the outside world and the traveller’s self-discovery. For some travellers, however, discovery is the very purpose of their journey, and history has witnessed their widely ranging objectives, ingenuity and deeds.

  The last two decades have witnessed the widespread use of genetic testing in courtrooms, to identify criminals from biological remains, determine paternity or identify corpses. Less is known, however, about

In recent decades, oncohematology has witnessed major advances in cancer treatment and survival. The toxicity associated with classical chemotherapy, and the need to improve the efficacy and tolerance to treatment,

From the perspective of public health intervention, there is no better weapon than one which can prevent disease transmission or onset. Within the field of infectious diseases, vaccines have become the weapon that can control many of them.

Man’s production of antibiotics has led to disease in microbial ecosystems on a planetary scale. The most immediate impact for man is the intractability of infections.

Human immunodefi ciency virus (HIV) has huge health, social and economic impacts. Current therapies can control the infection but a true cure or effective vaccine has yet to be found.

Greater understanding of the forces driving evolutionary change and influencing populations, together with the latest genetic analysis techniques, have helped conserve of biodiversity for the last twenty years. This new application of genetics is called conservation genetics.

Darwin reflected on the potential of natural selection by comparing it with the results humans have achieved with artificial selection. This paper discusses how, although the similarity between the two is evident, there are also important differences.

Evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky reflected on the place held by evolutionary theory in modern biology in the title of his famous article: «Nothing in biology makes sense except in the

Dues malalties com el càncer i la sida han reactivat la creació contemporània entorn de la malaltia en l'últim quart del segle passat. Dues afeccions maleïdes i sense guariment definitiu, que estan socialment farcides de tabús i metàfores. estigmatitzadores.

S'observa un seguiment desigual del Dia Mundial del Càncer als diaris analitzats, amb notícies sovint encapçalades per titulars sensacionalistes. Un altre perill que s'hi adverteix és la confusió entre informació i publicitat.

En aquest article comentem la situació del càncer de mama en el món i al nostre país, així com els principals factors de risc.

ABSTRACT For teenagers, to be diagnosed with cancer comes as a real blow. In this article, we describe the most prevalent cancers in this age group, the elements of cancer control,

Només l'1% dels casos de càncer és hereditari, però s'han descrit més de 200 síndromes caracteritzades per l'agregació familiar de distints tipus de tumors.

El càncer és un dels problemes sanitaris més importants dels països occidentals, donada l'alta incidència i elevada mortalitat que té. En aquest article ens ocuparem dels factors externs capaços d'induir el desenvolupament d'un càncer: agents químics, físics i biològics.

Tothom té una idea més o menys clara del que representa un càncer: un conjunt de cèl·lules que es divideixen sense control. Darrere d’aquesta imatge simplista s’amaga un dels problemes de salut més complexos i més greus que existeixen.

Diagnosis, treatment and even the very concept of cancer as a disease have changed significantly over time. From a single and incurable disease, it is now considered a disease in

© A. AguilellaSalaria fluviatilis, freshwater blenny. Which fish are to be found in the Mediterranean rivers? A rich and diverse ichthyofauna has developed in our rivers with a great many