Genetic Disorders #6,7

Alexis and I are going to be partners on this one :)

check the rest out HERE!: http://aguschel.blogspot.com

Genetic Disorders #4,5

4) 47, XYY syndrome
Symptoms:
more likely to have behavior problems, possibly due to a higher testosterone level
ometimes taller than average
increased risk of learning disabilities and delayed speech and language skills

characterized by an extra copy of the Y chromosome in each of a male's cells
There are no treatments seeing as there are no real symptoms



5)Hemophillia
Symptoms:
heavy bleeding during monthly periods (menorrhagia),
unusual bleeding after injury or surgery,
bleeding from small cuts that starts and stops over several hours,
frequent or prolonged nosebleeds, and
unusual bleeding from the mouth or gums or after a tooth extraction
Treatments
hormone desmopressin (DDAVP)
donated human blood or from genetically engineered products called recombinant clotting factors
Plasma infusions

Genetic Disorders Project #1,2,3

1) Achondroplasia- characterized by abnormal bone growth that results in short stature with disproportionately short arms and legs, a large head, and characteristic facial features with frontal bossing and mid-face hypoplasia. Intelligence and life span are usually normal, although compression of the spinal cord and/or upper airway obstruction increases the risk of death in infancy.http://www.geneclinics.org/profiles/achondroplasia/details.html Clinical Diagnosis

The clinical features of achondroplasia include the following:

Short stature
Rhizomelic (proximal) shortening of the arms and legs with redundant skin folds on limbs
Limitation of elbow extension
Trident configuration of the hands
Genu varum (bow legs)
Thoracolumbar gibbus in infancy
Exaggerated lumbar lordosis, which develops when walking begins
Large head with frontal bossing
Midface hypoplasia

FGFR3 is the only gene known to be associated with achondroplasia.

Treatment: Suboccipital decompression.



2)Alzheimers Disease

Is a progressive and fatal brain disease
Symptoms:
Memory changes that disrupt daily life
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
New problems with words in speaking or writing
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
Decreased or poor judgment
Withdrawal from work or social activities
Changes in mood and personality

Gene: Alzheimers is found on the APOE-e4 gene. Everyone inherits a copy of some form of APOE from each parent. Those who inherit one copy of APOE-e4 have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_causes_risk_factors.asp

The Society's Black and Minority Ethnic Communities Project was set up to increase our understanding and to share our knowledge of dementia by working in partnership with people from the black and minority ethnic communities in London
http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=412

There is no cure for alzheimers at the moment




3) Anemia
describes the condition in which the number of red blood cells in the blood is low. For this reason, doctors sometimes describe someone with anemia as having a low blood count

Symptoms:
Fatigue
weakness
shortness of breath
lightheadedness
palpitations (feeling of the heart racing or beating irregularly)
looking pale

abnormal hemoglobin molecules is the cause of Anemia

Treatment:
iron supplements
fluids
blood transfusion
oxygen

Dissection Free For Me!

From http://www.runet.edu/~caar/dissection/facts.html

The Animals
Animals that are most commonly dissected include frogs, turtles, mice, rats, worms, cats, rabbits, fetal pigs, birds, dogs, and fish. They come from breeding facilities, slaughterhouses, their natural habitats, pet stores, local pounds, and even animal dealers and thieves. Many are killed and "processed" at biological supply companies.

Most animals are killed and dissected (cut apart). Others are vivisected (subjected to an invasive procedure while alive) in demonstrations.

Animals used for dissection can have a miserable existence in the process of being captured, transported, and ultimately killed.

You

The hazardous chemicals used to preserve dead animals as specimens threaten both the environment and human health. Formaldehyde, the most widely used preservative, is a suspected carcinogen; it can harm the environment and poses a health risk to students through skin contact or inhalation of fumes.

Symptoms of formaldehyde exposure include eye, nose, and throat irritation; a persistent cough; respiratory distress; skin irritation; nausea; headache; and dizziness.

Alternatives

Available programs include simulations of the anatomy and/or physiology of humans, rats, frogs, fetal pigs, sharks, and crayfish and other invertebrates. CD-ROMs and videodiscs can offer still, animated, and live-action images, substantial text, and a soundtrack.

Stem Cells

Pros and Cons



What is Stem Cell Research?


A really Good Website about Stem Cells



I found all of my information here when I did a project on Stem Cells with Alexis and it really helped me understand what they are and it really answers every question you would ever have about them :)

Links about Gene Therapy and Immunotherapy

Gene Therapy
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/genetherapy/whatisgt/
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BA/Gene_Therapy_Overview.php
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/Gene *This one is really good*
Immunotherapy
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/eto_1_3_Immunotherapy.asp
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_4X_What_Is_Immunotherapy.asp
http://www.cancernet.com/immunotherapy/

Should ideology impact science?

I believe that ideology should drive science to a certain degree. Because if you put limits on what we should find out by putting ideology before science we might not reach our full potential. I believe that there should be some thought of our morals while we gain better knowledge of science because if we throw ideology totally out of the loop in science then we might go over the top on what our first intention was. Such as Stem Cell research. I think that we should go as far as we need to help people but we shouldn't go as far a cloning people because out original intention with stem cell research is to cure diseases not make stem cells an economic market for example making custom babies.

The Element Song!

Elements Have a Party

Chemists Offer New Hydrogen Purification Method

From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090215151755.htm
ScienceDaily (Feb. 15, 2009) — President Barack Obama's pursuit of energy independence promises to accelerate research and development for alternative energy sources -- solar, wind and geothermal power, biofuels, hydrogen and biomass, to name a few.

Deforestation

From: http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/envFacts/facts/deforestation.htm

GOING, GOING GONE!
Of great concern is the rate at which deforestation is occurring. Currently, 12 million hectares of forests are cleared annually - an area 1,3 times the size of KwaZulu/Natal! Almost all of this deforestation occurs in the moist forests and open woodlands of the tropics. At this rate all moist tropical forest could be lost by the year 2050, except for isolated areas in Amazonia, the Zaire basin, as well as a few protected areas within reserves and parks. Some countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Costa Rica, and Sri Lanka are likely to lose all their tropical forests by the year 2010 if no conservation steps are taken.

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
Deforestation is brought about by the following:

* conversion of forests and woodlands to agricultural land to feed growing numbers of people;

* development of cash crops and cattle ranching, both of which earn money for tropical countries;

* commercial logging (which supplies the world market with woods such as meranti, teak, mahogany and ebony) destroys trees as well as opening up forests for agriculture;

* felling of trees for firewood and building material; the heavy lopping of foliage for fodder; and heavy browsing of saplings by domestic animals like goats.

To compound the problem, the poor soils of the humid tropics do not support agriculture for long. Thus people are often forced to move on and clear more forests in order to maintain production.

CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION
* Alteration of local and global climates through disruption of:

a) The carbon cycle. Forests act as a major carbon store because carbon dioxide (CO2) is taken up from the atmosphere and used to produce the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up the tree. When forests are cleared, and the trees are either burnt or rot, this carbon is released as CO2. This leads to an increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration. CO2 is the major contributor to the greenhouse effect. It is estimated that deforestation contributes one-third of all CO2 releases caused by people.

b) The water cycle. Trees draw ground water up through their roots and release it into the atmosphere (transpiration). In Amazonia over half of all the water circulating through the region's ecosystem remains within the plants. With removal of part of the forest, the region cannot hold as much water. The effect of this could be a drier climate.

* Soil erosion With the loss of a protective cover of vegetation more soil is lost.

* Silting of water courses, lakes and dams This occurs as a result of soil erosion.

* Extinction of species which depend on the forest for survival. Forests contain more than half of all species on our planet - as the habitat of these species is destroyed, so the number of species declines (see Enviro Facts "Biodiversity").

* Desertification The causes of desertification are complex, but deforestation is one of the contributing factors (see Enviro Facts "Desertification")

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
* Use wood sparingly. An energy-efficient stove, The Number One Wood Stove is available from: Mr C. le Clezio, P O Box 55333, Northlands, 2116. Tel. 011-7866709.

* To learn how to make a low-cost, energy-efficient stove contact: Dr A Marsh, Small Industries Project, P.O. Box 143, Windhoek, Namibia. Tel.061-64527.

* The "Wonder Box" is a cheap, simple way to save fuel, whether wood or electricity. For a demonstration or to order: Women for Peace, PO Box 87233, Houghton, 2041. Tel.011-6464501

* Plant indigenous trees.

Biome Project

For those in my group that were freaking out about the project not working, I have fixed it! I sat here for like an hour and a half fixing all of the pictures and re-doing the animation! Hopefully it will work on an Apple computer :)

Vegetarianism

I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write about for this and I decided to do something on vegetarianism. I googled "vegetarianism" and I came across an article in the Times from 2002. I read it and I really liked what they were saying. Being a very strict vegetarian I really believe in what this guy is saying. I am going to put the link on this but I am also going to highlight some of my favorite parts of this article.


The article starts off with:
"FIVE REASONS TO EAT MEAT:
1) It tastes good
2) It makes you feel good
3) It's a great American tradition
4) It supports the nation's farmers
5) Your parents did it

Oh, sorry ... those are five reasons to smoke cigarettes. Meat is more complicated. It's a food most Americans eat virtually every day: at the dinner table; in the cafeteria; on the barbecue patio; with mustard at a ballpark; or, a billion times a year, with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun. Beef is, the TV commercials say, "America's food"—the Stars and Stripes served up medium rare—and as entwined with the nation's notion of its robust frontier heritage as, well, the Marlboro Man. "

Another favorite part:

"Clear enough? Not to many Americans. In a survey of 11,000 individuals, 37% of those who responded "Yes, I am a vegetarian" also reported that in the previous 24 hours they had eaten red meat; 60% had eaten meat, poultry or seafood. Perhaps those surveyed thought a vegetarian is someone who, from time to time, eats vegetables as a side dish—say, alongside a prime rib. If more than one-third of people in a large sample don't know the broadest definition of vegetarian, one wonders how they can be trusted with something much more difficult: the full-time care and picky-picky feeding of their bodies, whatever their dietary preferences. "
A part a really liked because I really believe it
"To true believers—who refrain from meat as an A.A. member does from drink and do a spit-take if told that there's gelatin in their soup—a semivegetarian is no vegetarian at all. A phrase like pesco-pollo-vegetarian, to them, is an oxymoron, like "lapsed Catholic" or "semivirgin." Vegetarian Times, the bible of this particular congregation, lays down the dogma: "For many people who are working to become vegetarians, chicken and fish may be transitional foods, but they are not vegetarian foods ... the word 'vegetarian' means someone who eats no meat, fish or chicken."

Worms

I had a really good time doing the worm thing in science today. Usually I really hate experiment type things that have to do with living things but this one was really cool even though we had two deaths and one concussion during the experiments. Our table named our worm Ralph-Pierre, he was the best worm :)