为什么有些地方长毛发有些地方却不长?_公共英语阅读理解

为什么有些地方长毛发有些地方却不长?

Why can millions of hairs grow from our heads, and yet our palms and the soles of our feet are as bare as anything? It all comes down to a special molecule in our bodies, according to the scientists who have found it.

为什么数以百万计的头发可以从我们的头上长出来，而我们的手掌和脚底却是光秃秃的？据发现这一问题的科学家表示，一切都归结于我们体内的一种特殊分子。

The hairless regions of our skin secrete a special type of molecule known as an inhibitor. This particular one is a protein named Dickkopf 2 (DKK2). These effectively brick-up the WNT pathway, which is in charge of triggering hair growth in our bodies.

我们皮肤的无毛区域分泌一种特殊的分子，称为抑制剂。这种特殊的蛋白质叫做Dickkopf 2(DKK2)。这些物质有效地堵塞了WNT通路，而WNT通路负责刺激我们体内的毛发生长。

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine believe certain animals have evolved to produce DKK2 in certain parts of their bodies, depending on what will best help different creatures to survive.

宾夕法尼亚大学医学院的科学家们认为，某些动物已经进化到在身体的某些部位产生DKK2，这取决于哪种物质最有助于不同的生物生存。

"In this study, we've shown the skin in hairless regions naturally produces an inhibitor that stops WNT from doing its job," Professor Sarah E. Millar, an author of the study published in the journal Cell Reports, commented.