Your gross earwax can reveal a ton about who you are, where you’ve been, and how stinky you are.
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Yoshiura, K., et al. (2006). “A SNP in the ABCC11 gene is the determinant of human earwax type.” Nature Genetics, 38, 324 - 330.
http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v38/n3/full/ng1733.html
Prokop-Prigge, K. A., Thaler, E., Wysocki, C. J., & Preti, G. (2014). Identification of volatile organic compounds in human cerumen. Journal of Chromatography. B, Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences, 0, 48–52.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3987112/
Prokop-Prigge, K. A., Mansfield, C. J., Parker, M. R., Thaler, E., Grice, E. A., Wysocki, C. J., & Preti, G. (2015). ETHNIC/RACIAL AND GENETIC INFLUENCES ON CERUMEN ODOR PROFILES. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 41(1), 67–74. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-014-0533-y
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4304888/
Trumble, S. J., et al. (2013). "Blue whale earplug reveals lifetime contaminant exposure and hormone profiles." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110(42): 16922-16926.
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/42/16922.abstract
(Smithsonian.com) For Scientists, Chunks of Whale Earwax Can Be Biological Treasure Troves
http://bit.ly/2mnlc6G
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Fig 1. from Trumble, S. J., et al. (2013). "Blue whale earplug reveals lifetime contaminant exposure and hormone profiles." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110(42): 16922-16926.
Courtesy Dr. Sascha Usenko and Dr. Stephen J. Trumble, Baylor University
Image of Prokop-Prigge, K. A., Mansfield, C. J., Parker, M. R., Thaler, E., Grice, E. A., Wysocki, C. J., & Preti, G. (2015). ETHNIC/RACIAL AND GENETIC INFLUENCES ON CERUMEN ODOR PROFILES. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 41(1), 67–74.
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