Many medications and diagnostic agents are derived from proteins,
hormones, and other chemical compounds in marine plants and
animals. In a few cases, parts of the organisms themselves are
used therapeutically.
The oldest medical texts--Chinese, Egyptian, and Roman--indicate
that marine algae, fish, and invertebrates have been prescribed
for thousands of years. Folk medicines are often thought to work
through a combination of supernatural and physical forces, and
many remedies do have real therapeutic value. §
Some marine organisms serve science not as the raw
materials of medications, but in the lab. As the subjects of
basic research, they have pointed to entirely new understandings
of biology and new types of treatments. §
Ocean Planet Exhibition Floorplan
gene carl feldman (gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9428
Judith Gradwohl, Smithsonian Institution (Curator/Ocean Planet)