HughMcB wrote:Is their any biological drawbacks to cannibalism?

HughMcB wrote:What about cooked?

Sterilization

Infectious particles possessing nucleic acid are dependent upon it to direct their continued replication. Prions, however, are infectious by their effect on normal versions of the protein. Sterilizing prions therefore involves the denaturation of the protein to a state where the molecule is no longer able to induce the abnormal folding of normal proteins. Prions are generally quite resistant to proteases, heat, radiation, and formalin treatments,[54] although their infectivity can be reduced by such treatments. Effective prion decontamination relies upon protein hydrolysis or reduction or destruction of protein tertiary structure. Examples include bleach, caustic soda, and strong acidic detergents such as LpH.[55] 134°C (274°F) for 18 minutes in a pressurized steam autoclave may not be enough to deactivate the agent of disease.[56][57] Ozone sterilization is currently being studied as a potential method for prion denature and deactivation.[58] Renaturation of a completely denatured prion to infectious status has not yet been achieved, however partially denatured prions can be renatured to an infective status under certain artificial conditions.[59]

The World Health Organization recommends any of the following three procedures for the sterilization of all heat-resistant surgical instruments to ensure that they are not contaminated with prions:

1. Immerse in a pan containing 1N NaOH and heat in a gravity-displacement autoclave at 121°C for 30 minutes; clean; rinse in water; and then perform routine sterilization processes.
2. Immerse in 1N NaOH or sodium hypochlorite (20,000 parts per million available chlorine) for 1 hour; transfer instruments to water; heat in a gravity-displacement autoclave at 121°C for 1 hour; clean; and then perform routine sterilization processes.
3. Immerse in 1N NaOH or sodium hypochlorite (20,000 parts per million available chlorine) for 1 hour; remove and rinse in water, then transfer to an open pan and heat in a gravity-displacement (121°C) or in a porous-load (134°C) autoclave for 1 hour; clean; and then perform routine sterilization processes.[60]

cherries wrote:wasn't AIDS contracted from people eating bush meat(monkeys)?

Scientists find new strain of HIV


Gorillas have been found, for the first time, to be a source of HIV.

Previous research had shown the HIV-1 strain, the main source of human infections, with 33m cases worldwide, originated from a virus in chimpanzees.

But researchers have now discovered an HIV infection in a Cameroonian woman which is clearly linked to a gorilla strain, Nature Medicine reports.cont...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8175379.stm

katja z wrote:According to the article, cannibalism would have been fairly widespread among early humans.

natselrox wrote:I usually take these studies with a huge pinch of salt.

Spearthrower wrote:

natselrox wrote:Aren't bonobos the more violent cousins of us?

Pan troglodytes = warmakers
Pan paniscus = lovemakers

You should have seen the faces of the students in our Primate Behavioural Ecology course when our first class was an hour long viewing of bonobo sexual acts.

HughMcB wrote:Is their any biological drawbacks to cannibalism?

cherries wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMEPV-NTeZs

Spearthrower wrote:If there weren't any non-human animals watching the TED presentation, I'd call that 'playing to the crowd'.
I've never heard about swine flu originating in humans. Have you got a source for that? I understand that HN31 has a reassortment of genes from birds, pigs and humans, which is why it can pass between them, but I didn't think anyone was remotely aware of where it first originated, although it is endemic in particular pig populations.