...Mark Ocampo BIOL 384N Human Aging ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE We often associate Alzheimer’s disease with the aging process, but is it safe to assume that? From my perspective and possibly others I believe that memory loss is natural with aging, but no to the severity a person with the disease would experience. First of all, what is this disease that creates so much havoc? Well, Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder in which death of a brain cell occurs. Expectations from loss of brain cells can be mental deterioration such as memory loss, cognitive decline and eventually, death. Cognitive thinking can be skills such as attention, working memory, process speed, long term memory, visual processing, auditory processing and logic and reasoning. Though there are numerous research on this disease specific reasons have not been found, but two prime suspects are tangles and plaques which are found in the hippocampus. Tangles are found in dead and dying nerve cells. They are made of collapsed protein that twists into strands that we call tangles. The proteins are called tau. Tau is normally associated with the transport systems. The transport system is like the railroad tracks in our bodies where food molecules, cell parts and other key materials travel. Normally, Tau keeps the transport system on track by helping it stay straight ,but where tangles are formed the tau are no longer able to keep the track straight. Thus, the transport systems fall apart and disintegrate. With...
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...Modern society human populations at risk of disease pandemics Sandra Mankarios 42460441 Word count: 2033 The qualities in which humans in modern day society live have increased the potential risks of the transmission of pathogens and their vectors. These risks have become limitless compared to the past; the damage created now will greatly effect future generations where the damage may even be irreversible (Washer 2006). Many factors in everyday modern life contribute to the rapid spread of pathogens and their vectors, which include the advances in modern transport via the air, land and sea, the increase in population size and density, global change and climate change. These features of today assist in the introduction of new diseases and also the re-emergence of old diseases including influenza, HIV/AIDS, dengue fever, malaria, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Cholera and many others (Tatem et al. 2006). MODERN ADVANCES IN TRANSPORTATION In the past, populated establishments were isolated due to lack of efficient transport. Now in today’s modern society, the constant advances in resources and the requirement for travel has seen the travelling of individuals dramatically increased over the years. Transport systems via land, air and sea continue to develop allowing swifter mobility of passengers and goods across vast distances within shorter periods of time. Although this is exemplary of an advancing society full of promising travel and freight options, this...
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...Alzheimer's Disease and its Link to the Normal Human Developmental Process of Aging Angel M. Perez Liberty University Abstract The cause of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is currently unknown. However, extensive studies using new technology has led to new ways of accurately identifying AD, an understanding of the mechanisms involved regarding the development of AD, and the damage it causes in the human brain. The general population is under the impression that AD is a result of the normal human developmental process of aging. The focus of this research is to dismiss this misconception by providing indisputable empirical evidence to the contrary. This paper looks at the various studies explored by researchers in an attempt to show the factors attributed to AD, a population over the age of 65 that do not suffer from AD, and a population of as young as 18 clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The author also addresses life style, environmental, and genetic risk factors attributed to the development of AD. Alzheimer's Disease and its Link to the Normal Human Developmental Process of Aging Contrary to popular belief, studies show that Alzheimer’s disease is not part of the normal human developmental process of aging. It is imperative that researchers acknowledge that AD is not part of the normal aging process. Researchers must keep an open mind during the research and experimental process, exploring all plausible arguments, in order to discover the cause(s) and/or...
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...Public Awareness and Human Diseases HCA/ 240 Melissa Braxton May 29, 2011 Gioia Scoppa Obesity is a major problem in society today. The current generation of children is said to be the first generation of children that will not out live their parents. In the following I will discuss an overview of obesity and a current program that educates the community about obesity. I will also discuss some ways that the program could be improved. An obese person is defined as a person who weighs 20% or more over the ideal weight for their age, height, and gender. Over 40,000,000 Americans currently are considered obese. Most people believe that obesity is caused by over eating, but that is not always the case. In some cases genetics play a part. If a child has parents that are obese it puts them at higher risk for being obese themselves. Over eating and unhealthy food is sometimes the cause. Fast food has become a booming business. With the economy the way it is both parents must sometimes work. Going to a drive thru and picking up some fast food is just more convenient and faster. This unhealthy food can do horrible things to our bodies. Another possible cause for obesity in adults and youth is a sedentary lifestyle. Most people depend on their vehicles to get them around everywhere they need to go. Individuals use elevators and escalators more than actually walking up the stairs. School programs have cut down the amount of time students spend in physical education class, if the...
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...Determining Diagnosis Code Categories • A 68-year-old male presents to the office complaining of pronounced weakness on the right side of his body and slurred speech for the past 24 hours. Based on the examination, the physician orders an MRI to investigate a possible transient ischemic attack. The physician ordered an MRI to investigate the possibility of a transient ischemic attack. This means that the physician is unsure of the diagnosis. Codes 780-799, used for symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions, should be used. According to the text, these codes are used for conditions in which a definitive diagnosis cannot be made. If TIA is the diagnosis, I believe it would receive a code between 390-459 (Valerius et al.,2008). • A 44-year-old male presents to the office complaining of intermittent chest pain. The physician orders an EKG to rule out a possible cardiac event. This case, I believe, would also receive a code from 780-799, because of the fact that it states the physician is trying to rule out the "possibility" of a cardiac event. Without further information, that would be my best guess. Now, if the patient were diagnosed with a cardiac event, depending on what it was exactly, it would be coded with a code between 390-459. If the chest pain is not related to a cardiac event, and happens to be related to something in the respiratory system, then it would receive a code from 460-519. Without more information, it is...
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...Obesity is a chronic health condition that is spreading across the nation. Obesity is much like a cancer. A cancer that receives treatment, goes into remission, and often returns doing greater damage than when first diagnosed with obesity. Obesity leads to conditions that are obesity related. Diabetes, sleep apnea, arthritis, hypertension, cancer and even depression are conditions an obese person can encounter (World Health Organization, 2010). Obesity not only strains the healthcare and financial system of the United States it also strains personal and professional relationships as well. In this paper I aim to show how diabetes affects different avenues of a person’s life, what treatment options are available, and what programs are available in my community. I will also show how obesity has affected me personally and professionally. A person can be defined as being obese if their body weight is over 20% of their ideal body weight. Morbid or severe obesity is when a person weight is 100 pounds over their ideal bodyweight or a Body Mass Index over 40. Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated using a person’s weight and height. Morbid obesity can lead to disabling and severe health crisis for a person(World Health Organization, 2010). Morbid Obesity is actually a condition recognized as a disability by the Social Security Administration. According to the rules of disability a condition must interfere with one or more major lifestyle abilities. I am classified as being morbid obese...
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...Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a neglected vector-borne tropical disease occurring in 36 sub-Saharan African countries. The disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei which is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tsetse fly. Once injected, the parasite begins its life cycle and transforms into bloodstream trypomastigotes that swims around freely in tissue fluids unlike other protozoan parasites that typically invade the host cells. The disease present itself in two stages, the first haemeo-lymphatic stage where the trypanosomes proliferate in blood, lymph and subcutaneous tissues and a second meningo-encephalic stage where the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier and infects the central nervous system (CNS). Since the second stage of the disease causes irreversible damage to the CNS and is lethal if left untreated, it is essential that diagnosis is made as early as possible. However, because of the complex clinical manifestation of HAT, diagnosis and treatment is very difficult. There are currently only four registered drugs available to treat the disease; suramin, pentamidine, eflornithine and melarsoprol, all of which are associated with different levels of toxicity....
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...encephalopathies were untreated brain conditions that only affected sheep and goats. Known as “scrapie,” the disease was only found in sheep. After 200 years, a human discovery of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, now known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was found in a human by German scientists in 1920. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as the human transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, is a degenerative disease in humans that affects the nervous system and results in rapidly progressive dementia, loss of motor control, paralysis, and death. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is caused by a protein called a prion, which causes the normal proteins to fold irregularly and affects the prions’ ability to function. Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease occurs in about one in a million people. Since there is no...
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...College of Natural Sciences HCA/240 Version 4 Health and Diseases | Copyright © 2011, 2009, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course introduces the student to the basic principles of illness and disease commonly seen in the health care environment. Topics may include infectious and noninfectious diseases, environmental health, and the promotion of good health practices. In addition, students will be introduced to common disease and medical procedure terminology. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Zelman, M., Tompary, E., Raymond, J., Holdaway, P., & Mulvihill, M. (2010). Human diseases: A systemic approach (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: Introduction to Human Health and Disease | | Details | Due | Points | Objectives...
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...Mitochondrial disease is a disease that is passed from mother to child. The altered functions of the proteins results in this debilitating disease. This disease is diagnosed in 152 babies in the UK per year and 778 babies in the US per year (Spark). Mitochondria are supposed to convert food and oxygen into life sustaining energy. When those mitochondria aren’t working properly, functions of the body which need a lot of energy are affected greatly. Symptoms of this disease may include loss of motor control, muscular dystrophy, seizures, liver disease, cardiac disease and many more (Foundation). These symptoms can take many years to show up in a child’s life. Some don’t know they have the disease until they are 10 years old whereas others may...
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...Diseases THEIR TRANSMISSION AND CONTROL This project is designed to inform or further the reader’s knowledge about the different diseases and how they are transmitted and can be controlled. Therefore, it is divided into three (3) major sections. These sections includes: water borne diseases, food borne diseases and air borne diseases. These subtopics will go into further details as to make it simpler for your understanding. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION WATER BOURNE DISEASES FOOD BOURNE DISEASES AIR BOURNE DISEASES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First I would like to thank the Lord who is the head of my life who has given me the strength, courage, and inspiration in completing this assessment. I would also like to thank my teacher who has helped me in every step of the way. I would also like to thank my friends and family, specifically my parents who has provided the necessary resources needed to complete this assessment and also in giving me the ongoing encouragement and assistance. Once again I say thank you. WATER BOURNE DISEASES HOOKWORM Hookworm is an intestinal parasite of humans. The larvae and adult worms live in the small intestine can cause intestinal disease. The two main species of hookworm infecting humans are Anclostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. Hookworm eggs are passed in the faeces of an infected person. If an infected person defecates outside (near bushes, in a garden, or field) or if the faeces from an infected person are used as fertilizer...
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...emergence of personalized medicine has helped in the reduction of costs, time, and the rate of failure of pharmaceutical clinical trials, has eliminated trial and error inefficiencies in the diagnosis of diseases, and has aided in the prescription of effective drugs and averted those that pose dangerous side effects to patients. This essay explicates the manner in which genetic technology may contribute to personalized medicine, examples of the benefits of personalized medicine, and drawbacks of personalized medicine. Modern genetic technology has played an instrumental role in leading to personalized medicine. It has led to in depth understanding of the impacts of genetics in a given disease. The understanding of the impacts of the disease has helped in the development of personalized medicine, as practitioners are able to identify the correct prescription for different diseases. Modern genetic technology has also led to personalized medicine by helping practitioners understand the significance of genes in the normal development of human beings. Duke Medicine (2011) points out that these are easily linked with the certain diseases affecting human beings hence the development of personalized medicine. Practitioners are able to identify the different diseases affecting human beings before they get to their worst states with the use of modern genetic technology. Personalized medicine has had numerous benefits on...
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...into the body to treat diseases. It is the name applied to the treatment of inherited diseases by corrective genetic engineering of the dysfunctional genes. It is part of a broader field called genetic medicine, which involves the screening, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of hereditary conditions in humans. The results of genetic screening can pinpoint a potential problem to which gene therapy can sometimes offer a solution. Genes represent the genetic material that organisms pass on from generation to generation. Therefore, genes are responsible for controlling hereditary traits and provide the basic biological code or blueprint for living organisms. Genes produce protein such as hair and skin as well as proteins that are important for the proper functioning of organs. Mutated or defective genes often cause disease. The purpose of gene therapy is to replace a defective gene with a normal copy of the same gene in attempt to restore function. Initially conceived as an approach for treating inherited diseases, like cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease, the scope of potential gene therapies has grown to include treatments for cancers, arthritis, and infectious diseases. Although gene therapy testing in humans has rapidly advanced, in general, the field of gene therapy has proven to be problematic and complicated by a variety of ethical issues. For example, some scientists are concerned that the integrating genes into the human genome may cause disease (Bio Technology). There...
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...“Green energy, our planet needs you” The Earth is our home, but it has been contaminated. Scientifics are concern with our planet which is dying everyday. It is our responsibility to take care the planet. The temperature has increased since the middle of the 20th century as a result of increasing concentrations of greenhouse due to human activity. As a consequence of the global warming many ecosystem are affected, has created climate variation, and many health diseases in the population. First of all, global warming has affected many ecosystems .The marine ecosystem is dying, many fishes and mammals that live in the ocean is disappearing due to the high temperature. The arctic is defrosting and the bear polar can not found what to eat. For polar bears to stay alive, they need sea ice. Not to eat the ice itself, of course, but because the animal that represents their main victim item, the ringed close, requires sea ice as its primary habitat for resting. Another ecosystem that is affected is the coral reefs. The coral reefs, which are the filter of the sea, are bleaching. The bunch of bleaching incident that followed kill a fifth of coral communities worldwide. And while many have recovered the global loss is attributed to the mass bleaching stand. At the instant the reefs seem to be recuperating fine, but it's only an issue of time prior to another mass of bleaching. The temperature has demonstrated high level of records since 1980.The increase...
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...choosing the sex of a child is authorized and validated by the Dutch Health Council, but only on medical terms, for example in cases of hereditry (heere-dit-trie) diseases. However, in many countries sex pre-selection is permitted, irrespective whether there is a medical reason or not. So if you could choose the gender of your baby, what would you choose? A boy or a girl? Well, you don’t even have to answer my question, because I do not think, we people have the right to decide on this matter. It is unethical and immoral to do so. Therefore my thesis is the following: Parents should not be able to select their baby’s gender! I will start of giving a number of arguments that supports this thesis. Then I will discuss some arguments that supporters of sex pre-selection give. And I will end with a conclusion. First of all, whether parents had a girl or a boy has always been left up to nature to decide. To date, no-one has dared interfere with the genetic workings of the body, mainly because the technology did not exist to do it. But now, with the dawn of the twenty-first century, that technology has arrived and mankind is faced with the decision: whether or not to “play God” and manipulate the gender of their child to suit their preferences. I think we should let nature to take its course! After all, humans have been reproducing and multiplying for thousands of years, without any technologic interference. So why should we mess with mother nature now? And who are we...
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