How hibernating bears stay healthy

When people are still for long periods of time, such as during a plane ride, they can develop a medical problem called blood clots. But when bears don’t move for very long periods while they hibernate, they don’t get blood clots. Scientists in Germany recently figured out why. Humans and bears have a substance called a protein in their blood. If they have a cut that causes bleeding, the protein helps the blood thicken so the wound can heal. But this same protein can cause a dangerous blood clot to form inside the body, which blocks blood flow. The team studied blood samples taken from 13 wild bears during summer and winter. In the samples from winter, when the bears were hibernating, there was less of the blood-clotting protein. This…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 164

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