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Natural philosophers have speculated on the existence of worlds around other suns for millennia. Now that real data are available, we find a diversity far beyond that expected by scientists, or science-fiction writers.
It is seven years since the first bacterial genome was completely sequenced, and more than 60 others have now been determined. What has been the impact of these projects on pure science and public welfare?
Plant stem cells, contained in specialized structures called meristems, have amazing regenerative powers. They enable plants to grow and produce new organs throughout lifetimes that can span hundreds of years.
