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Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

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22 March 2012

Body Code

Our bodies are made up of millions upon millions of living cells each housing a mass of molecules. This biological machinery is responsible for turning the genetic information encoded within our DNA into flesh, blood, bone and brain – microscopic, hidden processes made visible by this detailed animation. The video captures the bustling business of life from the seething surface of a stem cell to the careful copying and coiling of DNA within a cell as it divides. It also reveals how a gene is 'read' to produce haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen around the body, showing how a tiny change in this protein can lead to sickle cell anaemia.

Written by Kat Arney

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What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.