Microglia
Research has discovered dystrophic (defective development) human microglia. "These cells are characterized by abnormalities in their cytoplasmic structure, such as deramified, atrophic, fragmented or unusually tortuous processes, frequently bearing spheroidal or bulbous swellings." The incidence of dystrophic microglia increases with aging. Microglial degeneration and death have been reported in research on Prion disease, Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, indicating that microglial deterioration might be involved in neurodegenerative diseases. A complication of this theory is the fact that it is difficult to distinguish between "activated" and "dystrophic" microglia in the human brain.
Chlorella sorokiniana
Chlorella sorokiniana is a freshwater green microalga with a characteristic emerald-green color and pleasant grass odor. Its cell division rate is quite fast and divides into four new cells every 17 to 24 hours. The algae was found by a Dutch microbiologist Martinus W. Beijerinck in 1890. In 1951, the Rockfellar Foundation in collaboration with the Japanese Government and Dr. Hiroshi Tamiya developed the technology to grow, harvest and process "Chlorella sorokiniana" on a large, economically-feasible scale. This microalgae has also been used extensively as a model system to study enzymes involved in higher plant metabolism.