Monday, September 13, 2010
Welcome
Biology students, as we embark on our senior year of learning I look forward to hearing about new and exciting discoveries and research in the fields of science, technology and medicine. As each student presents his/her paper, you as a hungry audience will report what you learned and what you think about the information. If you are the presenter, you will read and respond to the comments made by your fellow classmates. Now lets have some fun:-)
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ReplyDeleteComment to Anna Cope's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found Anna's presentation on the average pet very interesting. Recognizing sense toward relatives is a topic that has never been brought up in the course of biology before. Not only that, but the whole idea of hamsters being able to sniff their relatives out through the armpit effect really tied into the understanding that interbreeding could be avoided. By now it is clear that interbreeding has its negative effects on the offspring, and thus the sniffing out of the relatives truly narrows down who, in this case which hamster, would be a good mate. I personally found the whole idea of women preferring the smells of men who are genetically similar to them very interesting in that it is not what the average individual would assume in our society. Overall, I truly enjoyed this presentation.
I really enjoyed Anna Cope's journal presentation. I never thought that it would be possible for organisms to be able to smell genetic similarities in other organisms. Not only was the "Armpit effect" extremely interesting, but it also brought numerous questions to mind. It's quite amazing how nature can indirectly prevent inbreeding - thus preventing negative effects in offspring. Though it hasn't been proven accurate, the "Armpit effect" can be seen in many animals and species. For example, experiments have shown that orphan hamsters prefer mates in other hamsters that differ the most genetically. I believe this phenomenon is truly extraordinary, and I can't wait to see how this theory develops over time.
ReplyDeleteFrom Anna Cope's presentation, I learned that the "Armpit Effect" allowed hamsters to sniff out their relatives. Therefore, it is a natural deterrent against interbreeding; naturally preventing mutations in the offspring caused by interbreeding. The experiment which showed that women preferred the smell of men who were genetically similar seemed pretty interesting. It seems to provide further evidence that we are animals even though we disassociate ourselves from them.
ReplyDeleteAnna Cope’s presentation was very insightful. I leanred about the “Armpit Effect”. I have never before heard that term so the presentation brought me new knowledge. The experiments where the results implicated that humans always chose mates that are the most genetically different to prevent imbreeding (and to prevent the passing on of genetic disease). I like the idea that invovles being able to sniff out your relavtives. Of course in order to do that I would have to be a hamster. Overall I concider the presentation of Anna detailed and very interresting.
ReplyDeleteThrough Anna Cope's presentation I learned about this very interesting trait that was found in golden hamsters called the “Armpit Effect.” This unique trait prevents inbreeding between the hamsters which is of benefit to the hamster’s cause it can get rid of harmful traits from being passed down. But not only do hamsters showed signs of this phenomenon but peacocks and humans as well. I study showed that a women is more prone to be attracted to a guy that had genetic similarities was very interesting. Its interesting to see how nature has its way of preventing incest to reduce the amount of bad traits. All in all the presentation was very good and the topic was interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnna Cope’s project was interesting. I learned that animals, such as golden hamsters and peacocks can sniff out their relatives through the Armpit effect. Also, even though they are happier when around relatives they will not mate with them. Therefore, the Armpit effect is a good ability because that way interbreeding can be avoided. If it were not for this effect, interbreeding would be a problem and the offspring of animals would be born with deformities or disabilities. The Armpit effect has also been shown in women who prefer the smells of men who are genetically dissimilar to them, so this way breeding with someone who is genetically similar will not happen and harmful traits are less likely to be passed down. Even though some scientists believe that the Armpit effect does not exist, since it cannot be proven, there are many facts that make this theory logical. I really liked this presentation, because it cleared up a little bit of the phenomenon in how interbreeding is avoided, for me.
ReplyDeleteAnna Cope's presentation was definitely random and different but because of that, it made the topic fascinating. The "armpit effect" is something very unique and though it can't be proven, it still makes some sort of sense. To be honest, I have always thought of hamsters simply as little creatures that stores and eats corns and nuts, while running around in their wheel but finding out that besides that, they have the ability to distinguish the difference between each other and have the common sense to not interbreed is amazing. They turn out to be quite smart. Now, relating to when Anna talked about the women preferring scents of men genetically dissimilar to them is very interesting as well, because when I think of scent, it's either good or bad hygiene, but who knew scent can lead to a whole other level. The idea of us having the ability to smell the genetic similarities or dissimilarities of another being is extraordinary and I pretty much enjoyed her presentation.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnna's presentation was interesting and I learned that animals like hamsters can sniff out their relatives through the "Armpit effect." I agree with other comments like Yasmin and America that this is a good thing because it prevents interbreeding. Which makes healthier hamsters and preventing diseases. It was interesting to know that hamsters are smart enough to distinguish their family from the rest of the hamsters. As I heard from Anna talking about women having a preference in different mans odors, I remembered watching the experiment of T.V where different women tried smelling a man’s armpit sweat. Some women didn’t mind the smell as other women were grossed out by the smell. Interesting to know that when women pick a date also by the sense of smell. So maybe even hamsters might just also sniff out the perfect mate.
ReplyDeleteReading through all of the comments, I'm glad that my presentation seemed to have gone well and a lot of people learned something new like the armpit effect. Yes, hamsters are more than just cuddly furballs and our sense of smell can be used to more things subconsciously than we thought it could before. Though I read a lot of comments saying that the women from the T-shirt study preferred men with genes more similar to theirs and it’s actually that they prefer men with genes more dissimilar to their own sorry I didn’t make that part more clear. Overall though I seemed to have gotten my point across.
ReplyDeleteThe presentation was actually interesting, i've heard that usually humans can detect othr people by smelling their scent, when it comes to choosing a mate, but never of knowing that they're genetically related. the investigation on the rodents was interesting, but i have to ask, how did the scientist know that the rodents knew who they where related to, or most genetically compatible to? The presentation said that humans also could tell by scent the people who are more genetically compatible to them, but how does that work? It's actually more complicated than it is, but is it some kind of pheromone, or something like it? Because it actually sounds like there could be some relationship betwen these two.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you all felt the "Armpit Effect" had validity and possibly drives our choice, even though subcontiously, to a mate that will provide us with greater genetic diversity. There is still so much about human interaction that we just don't understand. But through experimenting and investigating other animal's behavior, we can only hope to piece together the mystery of human behavior. Nice presnetation Anna.
ReplyDeleteComment to Stephanie Sosal's presentation:
ReplyDeleteGene therapy for blood disorders was definitely something new. Two forms of gene therapy were presented based on Stephanie's article, and they included Viral and Stem Cells. One topic brought up that confused me a but was the whole idea of gene therapy being used to give basic human traits to individuals, such as height and an athletic ability. With so many positive details about gene therapy, there had to be negative ones brought into consideration. Some major details that stood out to me were that the factors keeping the effecting treatment for genetic disease were the problems with viral vectors, multi gene disorders, and the immune response itself. Another important aspect was that gene therapy can cause a problem, after trying to fix another one- an example of this being the risk of developing into cancer. Overall, I found this presentation very interesting.
Comment on Juan A's presentation...
ReplyDeleteFor quite some time i have heard that the world is running short on oil but have never paid any attention on it. Now that Juan brought up the topic why is it that its still ongoing topic if for a while they have been saying that? Futhermore Do you believe that the recent oil spill has had a drastic impact on our already lacking amount of oil?
Comment on Juan's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteIn recent times, the scarceness, or better yet, the future scarceness of oil has been a rising issue. The fact that Juan pointed out that it is indeed still a pressing issue that will catch up with us is a good reminder. I also really liked the fact that he brought up how ethanol is not really so much of a substitute to oil as growing that much corn for food as well as vehicles is simply not possible. I appreciated the fact that he brought this point across since many people who simply do not know, believe that ethanol is the answer to oil reserves running out, when in reality, it could really be an entire new problem by itself, causing corn and corn based products to increase in prices and whatnot. Nevertheless, it was a good presentation which involved the major points of a key world wide issue.
I thought Juan’s presentation was interesting in that he not only cited the problem of running out of oil, but also the alternatives we can use to fuel our cars. It was interesting to hear that most of the alternatives were “eco-friendly”, however not as efficient as natural oil. I agree with Kabrina on how ethanol is not the favorable alternative due to the problems of corn production. Retrieving ethanol would clash with the food source production and possibly cause the inflation of corn products. Another aspect in Juan’s presentation that caught my attention was the tar sands. I never knew that acquiring oil from that source would produce more carbon emissions. I guess a question I would have asked Juan was how the oil spill in the Gulf has impacted the world’s oil production in general.
ReplyDeleteComment on Juan A.'s presentation:
ReplyDeleteFrom what I heard, I believe that Juan has put effort into his presentation and that he has looked through informative articles that lead him to have a very well and thought out presentation.
I especially liked his reasoning on why it would be a waste of time to look at something like corn oil as an alternative fuel that could replace oil.
His list of possible replacement fuels was very insightful as well and how he explained how each could make travel easier or if it would remain the same.
Comment on Stephanie Sosol's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteFrom Stephanie's presentation, I learned that gene therapy could be used to treat blood disorders. "Normal" genes are inserted into the genome to replace the abnormal gene that causes a disease. Gene therapy could also be used to give subjects certain phenotypes. However, gene therapy subjects could end up with unsatisfactory results. Severe immune responses could shut down entire organs. The subjects may also develop cancer.
I found Juan's presentation very interesting in the sense that I completely agreed with everything he was stating. The fact that our oil is very quickly being depleted is an ever present issue and we need to find alternatives. I was intrigued by the tar sands and, similar to Jaclyn, I had no idea that such a method could be implemented. Even with the heightened carbon emissions I'm sure that with a little more research, this method could itself be refined into a process which produces less, or acceptable carbon emissions.
ReplyDeleteComment on Stephanie Sosol’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteStephanie’s presentation was interesting. Gene therapy was something I had never heard of before. I had heard of genetically engineering fetuses to make sure that babies were not born with a disorder, but never of someone who was already grown and was getting “genetically engineered” through gene therapy. There are two ways you can get gene therapy according to Stephanie, through stem cells or by inserting a virus into the body with the “good” DNA that is desirable. However, there can be risks such as that the virus can go back to its original dangerous state, the person could develop cancer, or the immune system can simply not let the “good” virus come into the body. However, there have been excellent results through gene therapy, for example a boy who was not able to produce red blood cells, went through gene therapy and actually progressed. I think that people should only get gene therapy when it is truly necessary and not if it is just to “enhance” themselves, such as to make themselves taller.
Comment on Juan’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteI thought that Juan’s presentation was really interesting and it opened my eyes that the solution for running out of oil is not ethanol. At first I thought that ethanol might be a possible solution for the decrease in oil, but in reality we would have another problem in our hands. I also like that he gave different solution to the problem, like Hydrogen base or electric cars. Overall I think he did a excellent job on his presentation.
Stephanie’s presentation over “Gene therapy” was very interesting. I think its fascinating how we can go back and fix problems with gene therapy. I think its interesting how you can insert a virus into the body with the desired DNA as a possible solution. The most interesting of all is that basically if the virus takes its original form it can develop into cancer. So essentially you could end up in a worse condition that before. Despite all this there have been cases where gene therapy has worked wonders for its patients, like this boy who had wasn’t producing an adequate \amount of red blood cells.
ReplyDeleteComment on Juan's presentation
ReplyDeleteThis presentation was really informative and made you think about what’s really going on in the world concerning oil. I think it brought attention to the fact that many people assume that we can replace oil with other resources when in reality it's a lot more difficult to do so. I also liked that he mentioned many options considered, such as ethanol and electric cars. On top of that he explained what would be the problem with those solutions. All in all I thought it was a good presentation.
Stephanie Sosol's presentation has made me realized how advanced science technology has become and learning about gene therapy was fascinating, but finding out that it isn't a definite cure just yet kind of mellowed out my fascination. I think gene therapy is a great idea and the idea of inserting a virus into the body to cure a cell or abnormal diseases is remarkable. The only downside is that attempting to fix one problem can end up causing another problem, such as cancer, but I believe with modern technology and developing knowledge will soon enable scientists to manipulate and make gene therapy a success for every patient.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments, I'm glad to see that my presentation sparked your interest in this topic. All things considered, I think we can all agree on the fact that the amount of oil is finite, and that we need to find alternate sources of energy. At the moment, there are various alternative sources of energy, some better than others. However, none of these are fully developed, and would not be able to completely replace oil. The next step in resolving this crisis would be to find which of these alternate sources can be developed into one that best meets our need for clean, reliable energy. As students, we can help this cause by informing others of the issue at hand, and how it can be resolved. If we can get more people to speak out on this issue, our government will be forced to listen and become more active in resolving the issue.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the questions about the recent oil spill in the Gulf, I conducted a bit of research to find out how the oil spill impacted oil reserves. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that about 4.9 million barrels of oil flowed into the Gulf. BP has machines capable of extracting oil from the Gulf, but these can only recover a fraction of the total amount. However, in the United States, an average of 19,498,000 barrels of oil are consumed per day (Based on data from the US Energy Information Administration). Therefore, the oil spill caused minimal damage to oil reserves.
Juan's presentation concerning the Earth's supply of oil was thought-provoking and interesting. I enjoyed most hearing about the efficency, or lack there of, of alternative energy resoureces. My opinion of using corn for ethanol gas paralled with the opinion presented in the presentation stating that using food for fuel is not a practical soluiton. However, I do think that if the discovery is made to create ethanol from the corn stock, or other food waste, it could be revolutionary as far as renewable energy resources are concerned. Thinking about the world's resources is always a good exercise because in our lifetime we will see a dramatic decline in the available fossil fuels so alternative energy will enter into our lives a lot more in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteStephanie's presentation on gene therapy was really interesting and hopeful. I'm really glad that they can finally, maybe, make some use out of viruses as I've always hated their existence before. It's a shame that with even the supposed safer method of gene therapy with the stem cells, it can still cause side effects like cancer. But this is a great breakthrough in science and can give hope to those with incurable diseases.
ReplyDeleteStephanie's presentation was really interesting. Stem cells have been the point of discussion in within the medical field for quite some time now, and knowing that stem cells can help you against disease and to make new tissue or cells in the body is extraordinary. gene therapy seems to work very well with the studies that have been made, too bad that the controversy around it's methods had made it difficult for practicing it.
ReplyDeleteGlad to know that people found the topic interesting; even though it was a little difficult to explain. The comments that I have seen talk a lot about having hope that it will one day work, and I also agree with that. If it turns out to work in the future it would help many people that suffer from incurable diseases. It is said that researchers are close to finding a permanent cure for diseases. Though right now they are still just test; that vary with different answers/effects. Though the 18 year old guy is good news to the progress of gene therapy because it hasn't had any negative effect.
ReplyDeleteDaria on Stephanie Sosol's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI really liked the topic that Stephanie choose because it gave stem cell research another name Gene therapy. Yes, many people believe that such a skill would lead to the perfection of human physical traits, but I hope it will lead to the betterment of human life in the sense of removal of disease. What I thought was interesting was that you could use viruses to inject genetic material into the human body but there are risks involved. The stem cell method seems much more efficient to me but due to the controversy concerning stem cell research the viral way might be another useful means.
Michelle on Stephanie Sosol's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed Stephanie's presentation on gene therapy. This scientific advancement is quite exciting, but also poses many risks to society. For one, it does prevent malfunctions and diseases in the human body - though I believe it partially superficial, the idea of creating a perfect human being. On the other hand, gene therapy with use of viruses is extremely interesting, for it's strange how one can use a supposedly "harmful" object to cure diseases. Stephanie's presentation also made me realize how fast technology and science are both developing. It's almost a little scary.
Iman Kassir commenting on Juan Avalos's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI thought your presentation on oil was really interesting. I remember a couple of years ago when people were focusing on using ethanol as a potential alternative fuel source. Because of the need for ethanol for food, I do not think that this is a dependable fuel source. I'm not sure if they have considered using salt water as a source of fuel. I think this would be a good idea to research because humans cannot really use salt water to benefit us (unless you count salt), and there is an abundant supply of it in the oceans. Also, it is a renewable fuel source. I do not think using salt water as fuel would have much of an impact on marine wildlife, there would not be any carbon emissions, and the water cycle ensures its continuity.
Comment to Georg S.'s presentation:
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that Georg's presentation was nerve wrecking. The introduction itself was an attention getter in that the brain has 100 billion cells, and it has neurons as well, but the main point of the presentation is one that many students, as well as myself, will not be forgetting. Increased frontal lobes were definitely something I had never heard before, and something I will not be forgetting. I learned that people who think too much about decisions and subjects tend to doubt themselves, and this can lead to depression. Depression can increase frontal lobes. and decrease memory! The first thing that popped into my head was the fact that so many students have been stressing out over IB... So just thinking about whether we could possibly have anything close to increased frontal lobes was frightening.
Comment on Georg Scherfler's presentation:
ReplyDeleteGeorg's presentation was, if I may say so, SCARY! I learned that the
overthinking of simple or life changing decisions causes the frontal
lobe of the brain to get bigger. Because of this you can see that the
brain takes time to process tasks correctly, but with a cost. Memory
loss can also happen, for example when you're thinking too hard on a
subject, later you forget where you put your keys, or your cellphone.
I can see how that can be, since I suffer from stress and it happens
to me frequently. Not only can the increase of the frontal lobe make
you forget things, but it can also lead to mental problems such as
depression. Therefore, I am fearing thought at the moment. I also
found it interesting how people who have mental illnesses and have a
normal or larger sized frontal lobe can be taught to take their
medications and other things so that they do not have to depend on
anyone to take care of them. Overall, Georg's presentation was very
interesting.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteComment on Kabrina's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI thought your presentation on the REM and the link to neurodegegenerative diseases was quite interesting,its amazing how dreaming can have such an impact later on in life. I was slightly confused by the specifics of the presentation, I know the brain is an immensely complex organism and to understand it fully we would have to undergo years of study. During the presentation, I was wondering if there could be some possible way to cure neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers through REM and dreaming. Because of the destructive nature of such diseases, I don't think that such therapy would be able to fix the damage done to the brain, but it may be able to slow its progess.
Comment on Kabrina's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteAside from being a bit confused, I found Kabrina's presentation to be remarkable in that it related dreams to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. I’ve always been interested in neurology and the mechanics of the brain. Even though they are exceptionally complex, when Kabrina mentioned dopamine, I remembered it being a neurotransmitter/hormone involved with moods in humans. It’s also found in hypothalamus if I am correct. I honestly wasn’t aware REM (Rapid Eye Movement) could cause neurological disturbances. It makes me wonder what the REM count would be for teenagers our age or how long it takes for humans to fall into a REM state during sleep.
comment on Georg's presentation:
ReplyDeletei thought this presentation was absolutely interesting. I would of like to know a little more about the experimentation and what exactly was it that lead scientists to believe that by a picture one can tell how the mind handles problems. I guess it is bad to over think thing because it causes depression and all of that, but it's more obvious, and research could be done just to have it on the table. I did like the conclusion, i learned much more than i really knew, especially the over thinking, but i guess the given experimentation wasn't really that much convincing.
I have always found dreams to be an interesting topic. The connection that Kabrina's presentation discussed made between having nightmares and neurological degenerative diseases was intriguing. This makes me curious about how important our sleep cycles are to our health. It brings about the 'chicken or the egg' question. Did the nightmares encourage the onset of these diseases or did the high-potential for these diseases cause the nightmares? This study shows that studying sleep patterns could lead to insights about diseases in the future. I really enjoyed Kabrina's presentation.
ReplyDeleteI found Ana's presentation very interesting. For me personally, scent is a very powerful thing that greatly influences the way I feel and think. The thought that it could actually deter me from a certain person to avoid interbreeding though...wow, definitely never thought of that one. This idea of the "armpit effect" seems to be a lot more evident in the study with hamster and peacocks and such. I'm not sure I'm convinced though, with the human study...just because of the different factors such as a laundry detergent used on the clothing, the smell of shampoo, body wash, cologne or deodorant, etc. It does make me think though if my boyfriend is genetically similar to me or not..haha. Another question comes to mind with this whole topic--is it really just smell, or could their be other things, such as physical characteristics and traits that subconsciously we know are of our relatives?
ReplyDeleteYasmin commenting on Georg’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteGeorg's presentation was very interesting. I learned that the size of the frontal lobe is an indicator of how much of a thinker that person is. For example a person who over thinks about simple or life changing decisions will have a larger frontal lobe than someone who doesn’t over think. Not all is good with people who over think because this can also lead to depression do to the constant over thinking. Memory loss is also an issue because when you're thinking too hard on a subject you will forget soon. On a more positive note people who have mental illnesses and have a normal or larger sized frontal lobe can be taught to take their medications and to be more independent.
Georg's presentation was highly informative and interesting, because I have learned about some things related to the workings of the brain in AP Psychology last year but it also made me think about my own brain, more specific, the size of my frontal lobe. It's kind of creepy in a way yet so cool! It's interesting how simply looking at a picture can determine your efforts to think and to make decisions, and can even explain your brain. The whole mental illnesses from thinking too much kind of gave me shivers, because I know how much us, being students, have so much pressure and stress and we have to use our brains 24/7, that is it a possibility it's affecting our own frontal lobes? Even just thinking about the frontal lobe is making me overthink it right now, which probably is increasing the size of own frontal lobe. Some things we learn makes me want to apply it to everyday life, making me a little sketchy and freaked out. But I did enjoy this presentation.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Kabrina’s presentation
ReplyDeleteI thought that Kabrina’s presentation was really interesting, but a bit confusing as well. Hearing about dreams, since I have an interest in the brain, was really intriguing. I know that the brain is a really complex organ and it’s really hard to understand but since the presentation I’ve been wandering why a small percent of individuals gets a neurological degenerative disease if everyone experiences REM in their sleep? Or is it that only some individuals experience REM?
Commenting on Kabrina's presentation.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Kabrina's presentation. I think the brain and how it works is a fascinating subject. I would have Enjoyed it more if there had been examples and specific cases, but it was interesting none the less. One question i had though was if there was somehow a correlation between what type of disorder developed into what kind of disease?
Georg commenting on his presentation
ReplyDeleteI think my presentation lacked several things even though some information was given the information that was based on the article was not as complete as i wished it to be. Several questions were left open and I think that is not positive. The problem I realized now as i reflect on my presentation is that the article I chose was just not good enough and detailed enough to fit the presentation requirements. The topic of the article itself was very interesting but sadly the study was not mentioned enough in it.
Nayelli commenting on Kabrina's presentation:
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Kabrina's presentation on REM I wanted to learn more about conditions in sleep. Obviously it is an interesting topic, although a bit confusing when explained. However after thinking some more about her presentation, I've learned about what REM exactly is since never before have I heard of it. Her presentation was educational, informative, and interesting which I liked. I also had no idea that REM could cause complications in later years of someones live. This left me wondering if there are any other conditions in which one develops problems from another sleeping condition.
Stacy commenting on Kabrina's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI had never thought that dreams and nightmares were connected in some way with certain neurological diseases, for that reason i thought Kabrina's presentation was really quite fascinating. I don't know if she mentioned this but I was wondering if nightmares were a side effect of these diseases or if the nightmares was a factor that happens before the disease. I missed a few things that she said about REM but I think it's a interesting how ones corneas do that. Over all I thought it was a good presentation.
Juan commenting on Kabrina's presentation:
ReplyDeleteGiven my interest in neurology, I found your presentation very interesting. If I'm not mistaking, the relationship mentioned in the presentation was that of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and neurological diseases. Essentially, people with abnormal REM are more susceptible to developing neurological diseases. However, since I know little about this topic, I do not fully comprehend this relationship. For example, what causes these abnormalities in REM? I would think that sleep patterns would have some effect on REM, but then again, it could also be based on genetics. Also, are there any preventative treatments for this problem? All in all, I really liked this presentation.
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. However, I am aware of the fact that my presentation was a tad vague but the information was limited to the studies that I found on the topic. But nevertheless, I am indeed pleased with the fact that the topic interested you and and to answer some questions...
ReplyDeleteJuan, I do not believe that there are any preventative treatments for this. All the the information that was collected basically stated that older people, above age 60, who experienced nightmares, and other disturbances during the REM stage of sleep, 20% of them developed neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Parkinsons). It was simply just data found.
Personally, I enjoyed Georg's presentation, but I must admit that it has made me concerned for the size of my frontal lobe. If I keep over-analyzing will it make my forehead bigger? But in all seriousness, it was fascinating to learn something about how the brain works because its the inner workings that run big things. I wonder though how people with mental disabilities use the frontal lobe. It'd be intersting to find out.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Georg's presentation on the frontal lobe. I would of never guessed that some people have actually increased the size of their frontal lobe just by thinking and over-analyzing stuff. Although that sounds kinda contreversial with how they supposedly checked the patients in their studies. But does that mean that other parts of the brain shrunk? That might be why they get depressed all the time. I don't know but I had AP Psychology flashbacks too. Yours was very well done Georg.
ReplyDeleteI was very intrigued by Georg's presentation on the brain and the frontal lobe. The brain is not an organ I think about too often - but when I do learn something about it, I'm always blown away. In a way, I fear for the effects of having an enlarged frontal lobe for I am a victim of over-analyzing and over-thinking. Although, the fact that studies have shown that those with larger frontal lobes are more likely to become depressed and etcetera is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn Georg's presentation it made me concerned that the saying "my head is going to explode" could happen. Because when I'm doing math I tend to analyze things a lot and think if I did it right; and then when we finally have the answer I feel brain dead. Though coming back to reality I hope that our fore heads can't get to the point they explode even if we analyze in a very deep state. I like his presentation because it interesting to know more about our brains; there are so many secrets that the brain has and researchers are getting closer everyday just by figuring out small or big things like this.
ReplyDeleteComment on Nayelli Martinez's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found her presentation on the Ondine disease very interesting; I had never heard of such a thing before. It's kinda scary how people can go to sleep and die because they cannot breathe. The myth where the disease comes from, the Ondine Curse, was really interesting. It gave it a fairy tale feel. I wonder what happens in the brain that makes the person unable to breathe in their sleep. If there was someway scientists could target that and switch it back on, that may fix the problem. I think if I had it, I would be too scared to sleep at night without someone staying up and watching my breath. Nayelli also mentioned another disease, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is really sad how babies can suddenly die, and doctors cannot really explain why. It would be really hard for parents to accept.
Comment on Nayelli's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteNayelli's presentation was based on a very interesting topic and first, I really enjoyed the fact that she drew reference to the myth. The disease itself seems like a horrible thing to have,but it is really interesting to think that when these people fall asleep, their brain literally "forgets" to tell their bodies to breathe. Maybe, scientists could come up with a cure though, or maybe a type of device similar to a pacemaker per say, that would remind the body while sleeping that it must breathe.
Comment on Nayelli's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Nayelli's presentation because she brought in the myth of Ondine's Curse, which alleviated the interest of CCHS in my opinion. I thought the story was comical in that Ondine cursed her fiance, Palemon, for sleeping with his former lover, Berta. Overall, I never knew hyperventilation could occur in your sleep. Remembering to breath is such a simple, involuntary routine and for children whose brain does not know how to keep that function on going during sleep is very saddening. I can't believe it's all due to a genetic defect, specifically a mutation, either. Even though the disorder is so rare, I wonder if there is any ongoing research for cures because if I were a child, constantly using a ventilator would be difficult.
On Ana's presentation
ReplyDeleteSelf- injury is a huge problem in today's teens. Most of these problems are due to physical or mental damage to a person's life style or behavioral issues. I think it's very interesting that people that act in this way prefer to live in a painful environment,rather than deal with the actual situation. I understand that there's depression when committing self injury, but there's no reason why one would not seek help.
Comment on Nayelli's presentation...
ReplyDeleteIts crazy that we have been around for such a long time and there are still things that we cant figure out about ourselfs... I would like to see more research done on why it happens and if it is tied in with anything that goes on with our brains when we sleep and if there is a surgery that can be done to correct it.
On Ana's presentation
ReplyDeleteSelf-injury is a problem that concerns society today. The problem is most people do not look at the biological aspect of this phenomenon. Most people say that people who injure themselves just want attention but Ana showed our class that there is much more too it than just getting attention. There is an emotional aspect which must be considered. If a person is in a state where only self-injury can release the pain we as a society must aid and help that person get treatment for the physiological turmoil he/she has. Of course not only society is to blame the person could try to find some kind of help to deal with his/her problems but probably most of the time this does not occur. The question we must as ourselves is what can we do to change that.
Comment on Georg's Presentation
ReplyDeleteThrough Georg's presentation, I learned that a person's frontal lobe size is affected by how much that person thinks and/or analyzes something as simple as 1+1 or something as complicated as a life-changing decision. If a person over-thinks and over-analyzes, it could lead to an over-sized frontal lobe -- causing mental illness, depression, and memory loss.
Commenting on Nayelli’s presentation
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really interesting how apart of the brain would shut down during sleep and work normally during the day. I also liked how it felt like a fairy tale with the Oden curse myth. I really liked Nayelli’s presentation and I think it was well done.
Commenting on Ana’s presentation…
ReplyDeleteAna’s presentation was both very sad as well as interesting. Through Ana’s presentation we were able to see that self mutilation of the body wasn’t just caused for attention there was indeed a biological side to this growing problem. We saw how self-injury was a way for the person to release pain much like the girl in the video who had constantly been raped by her uncle. Such trauma causes many psychological problems that cause the person to only go deeper into their depression and not seek any help and thus finding relief in the act of self-injury.
Ana' presentation:
ReplyDeleteIt was a really depressing presentation, but it was interesting because I have a better understanding of why people have this problem of cutting themselves. It is interesting to think that your mind thinks this way when it has trauma and depression. Makes me wonder what part of the brain is making this thought of self-injury to relief pain and sadness. Also what part of our brain tells us our emotions?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat started out as looking into the topic of Self-injury led to the discovery of biology being involved. In my presentation, I looked into research and information gathered on why it is that individuals inflict pain upon themselves. To my surprise, I learned that those who self-injure have a lower levels of opioid in their bodies. This really stood out to me in that the most common statement said about these individuals is that they merely do it for attention. By showing a short video about a girl who was molested by her uncle and took the emotional pain out bu cutting herself really opened the eyes of my classmates. Based on the comments already posted, I can honestly say that no one expected a presentation as depressing as this one. We all learned that there is truly a real reason as to why someone injures them self.
ReplyDeleteStephanie: Various parts of the brain control different types of emotions. (Deep limbic system, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, basal ganglia, and temporal lobes)
Commenting on Nayelli's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI thought this presentation was really great. I had heard of this condition but never knew details about it so it was nice to hear the background information about it. Its scary to think that such a condition exists and i understand why its called the Ondine Curse. On top of that, it was cool to hear the myth about it which was pretty funny and made the presentation a lot more entertaining. Throughout the presentation i couldn't help to think that parents who have children with this condition must worry a lot and must take everyday their baby has to live as a blessing. Its amazing how our brains control so much and can do so much yet theres also many things that can go wrong.
Comment on Ana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI really liked Ana's presentation because I was
wondering about why people hurt themselves just recently really. It's kind of disturbing that people feel so much emotional pain that they need to inflict pain upon themselves. I thought the story she showed was extremely sad but the part that got to me was when her so called friend saw her scars and called her emo and started ignoring her.
Comment on Ana's Presentation
ReplyDeleteI thought Ana's presentation was very interesting. It is a little disturbing that people need to induce pain in order to escape emotional pain. Traumatic events lead to this emotional pain and can cause psychological problems to develop. From a biological perspective, those who feel this emotional pain and induce their own injuries are shown to have lower levels of a specific hormone in their body.
Nayelli’s presentation made me think about how many illnesses a baby can have. It terrifies me that one day my kids may have to live life when they are unable to involuntarily breathe when they sleep. These families put all their trust into a breathalyzer every night. One malfunctioning battery and the child loses his life. I really hope that researchers are looking into how to cure this disease. I was unaware of this disease before so I really enjoyed learning this new topic in this presentation.
ReplyDeleteComment on Ana Gonzalez's presentation:
ReplyDeleteSelf injury is a big problem in teenagers, and Ana showed us that these young people do not do it for attention but instead because they cannot find any other way to feel better about their problems. What was interesting to me is that they use self injury the same way others use drugs, alcohol, and sex, to forget about their problems. These people hurt themselves to relieve emotional turmoil, but they will not say anything about their problems or injuries because they are afraid of being rejected by society. Cutting is done mostly by girls, while burning is done by boys. These teens are driven to self injury due to pain and suffering and are most likely to commit suicide.
In-vitro fertilization has always interested me so i really enjoyed Jaclyn's presentation. I found it incredible that there is such a high percentage rate (93%, if i remember correctly) of being able to accurately find which zygotes will continue to produce an embryo. Another aspect I found interesting was how in the experiment to find the trends in cells that would detect its success rate (of becoming an embryo), it was impressive how closely and accurately they were able to observe the individual cells. I can’t remember verbatim the three points that they found for criterion for cells that would act the same, but I remember it was something like the time between the stages in mitosis. The fact that they were able to time accurately, for each cell, the time between the mitosis stages and find a trend in them is incredible. Jaclyn’s presentation was great and it was helpful since it pertains so well to our current subject in class.
ReplyDeleteDaria commenting on Ana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteThis presentation really hit home for me, because two years ago, I made friends with a girl who warned me that she had an issue. I didn't understand what she'd meant until I'd come over to spend the night at her home. She went through a family divorce and this caused her great pain. The slideshow and sidenotes really put things into perspective. These people DO feel pain, and instead of mocking, labeling, and being condescending to them, we should be aware of their pain, and try to help.
I didn't know that there was a bioilogical side to this issue. Ana's presentation combined the physiological aspects with the biological data making a strong case that society should be more attentive to such matters. Well done.
I'm glad that those who viewed my presentation thought it was interesting. Living with Congenital Central Hyperventilation Syndrome can be very difficult but those with this syndrome are able to live an almost normal life without having to carry around a ventilator or spend there days at home being kept alive by a cord attached to a machine.
ReplyDeleteThe oldest living patients with CCHS are in their thirties, its not a long life they might live but it is semi-possible to live a good life.
Comment of Jacky's N presentation...
ReplyDeletei believe IVF is a very useful way of getting pregnant for those who cant naturally become pregnant and although science today is progressing i dont not believe in picking out which baby has the most chance of surviving and personally would not do IVF... being pro-life i feel like every fetus has a chance to live and IVF does not offer that but i do have to give science credit for coming so far along.
Comment on Nayelli's presentation
ReplyDeleteI thought your presentation was very interesting. Prior to it, I did not know of this disease. It's seems surprising how, even with all of the technology we have today, a disease like this remains fairly in the unknown. Even though scientists know how it is caused, they have not been able to find a cure, besides for being connected to a ventilator. It's upsetting to realize that we are basically at this disease's mercy, since not much can be done once it develops.
Comment on Ana's Presentation
ReplyDeleteAna's presentation has taught me that self-injury is not a cry for attention, like what others may think, but rather an actual biological issue. It was quite different to hear about this issue from a scientific perspective, rather than just a social one. Her presentation explained self-injury in a completely different way than how the media goes about doing it. The comparison of self-injury to "abuse of drugs, alcohol and sex" really clears up the reasoning behind the problem. Overall, it was extremely eye-opening.
Comment on Juan's presentation
ReplyDeleteI found the entire presentation interesting, which is surprising since I'm honestly tired of hearing about oil and energy everywhere I go. We get it. It's expensive and will kill us all. Just do something about it. Juan was discussing ideas about how to do just that. I think that he could have talked about nuclear energy, which is gaining a small fan base. Yes, it's dangerous but, if done correctly, can provide an enormous amount of energy for a small price.
I really appreciated Bryana's comment because that was how I looked at the research that Reijo Pera did on IVF and embryos. In my opinion, since not all preserved embryos can be used for live birth (such as those that were used in this study), I think that it is beneficial to human knowledge to use them for science rather than throwing them away. Knowing that clinicians can accurately predict the embryo success rate 93% of the time is incredible. I do understand Maria's comment though as well, because I was too concerned over the ethics of this project. The frozen embryos were used on the consent of the donor. Yes, every fetus deserves to live, but if scientists can map out and predict the success rate of the ones that WILL live, than that can improve the pregnancy for a woman who does participate in IVF. I believe that as long there is a certain balance between science and ethical implications, than research can progress without haste. Also, I did not know that we were going to actually talk about IVF in class or have a project on it, so that made me really happy!
ReplyDeleteComment on Kabrina's presentation
ReplyDeleteI, like most other humans, enjoy sleep. The fact that so many disturbances can happen during one's sleep scares me a little. Kabrina's presentation cleared the air on certain conditions. While I do believe the presentation was a little vague, it must be noted that this topic was a very large one that could take days to fully explain.
Comment on Nayelli's presentation
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting project that definitely caught my eye. I do not like the idea that, during the night, when I'm sleeping and generally relaxing, I could just kick the bucket, so to speak, and die. While I understand that this condition is rare, it still causes emotion to well up at the idea of what a horrible life these people must lead. Unable to play sports or to sleep normally, I myself would go insane. From what Nayelli showed us, this is a horrible condition to live with. I am curious as to what advancements have been made to prevent, cure, or fully alleviate the symptoms of this disease.
Comment on Jaclyn’s presentation
ReplyDeleteI thought that Jaclyn’s presentation was very interesting and it was well done. Her presentation actually clear up some questions I had for IVF and I actually understood what it was. I think that it’s a good thing that woman who weren’t able to get pregnant before would be able to now because of the in-vitro fertilization.
Comment on Jaclyn's presentation
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the presentations that really caught my attention. Since I have family who are unable to have children, this topic really hit home to me. The fact alone there is a 93% accuracy rate when clinicians test for embryo success is something that I could relate to them. I personally found the fact that 2/3 of all embryos are not successful interesting since it directly concerns us and our future generations. With so many tragic cases of miscarriage, this presentation gives a little hope.
Comment to William's presentation:
ReplyDeleteIt's one thing to think about bugs, but it's a completely different story have to hear about a 'superbug.' Being found in the UK, this superbug is resistant to powerful antibiotics. From what I understood, this bug relates to NDM-1 (genetic mutation allowing bacteria to create enzymes and chew up antibiotics). Despite being called a bug, I found it very interesting that it can be transmitted through food, hospital procedures, and bodily contact. It's frightening that there is not real cure and hospitals are just throwing antibiotics at it, hoping they will work.
Overall, very interesting topic, and quite disturbing.
Commentng on Jaclyn's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found Jaclyn's presentation on in vitro fertilization very interesting. It also fits in quite well with the current research we have been doing in class over IVF. I think that now that humans are able to predict the grotwth of an embryo with almost perfect accuracy, we might be able to use it for other fields of research. For example, there is alot of controversy surrounding stem cell research because embyronic stem cells are destroyed in the process, many people are opposed. However, if we are able to predict which embryos will live and which will die, scientists can preform research on embryos that will eventually end up dying anyway, so there is no murder involved.
The "superbug" was extremely fascinating! i loved the topic, very interesting. Just the thought that there's a bacteria that is not very easy to kill is actually kind of frightening. it's scary that a person can actually contact this pathogen and have it live in the body with little to no chance of getting rid of it causing so much damage. I mean, this is a "superbug", the most powerful, perhaps in the whole environment. I think it's rare that this actually exists, i hope it doesn't ever become a problem or worse, a pandemic in any country because that could be horrific in so any levels. but i do admit that it was just about time something so bizarre as this came out and humans discovered it.
ReplyDeleteComment on William Souraphath’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteWilliam’s presentation was both interesting and frightening. A superbug was found in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and even the United States. This superbug has a genetic mutation known as NDM-1, which allows the bacteria to create enzymes that chew up antibiotics. The superbug is caught through food, bodily contact, and hospital procedures such as surgery. What worries everyone is that the gene for NDM-1 will be transferred to a type of bacteria that is resistant to all antibiotics, and can spread easily between people. There is no known cure for the superbug, all that hospitals can do is just use antibiotics and hope that they will work. Hopefully this superbug won’t turn into a big problem in any country and that a cure can be found.
Comment on William Souraphath’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteWilliam’s presentation was a big shocker. It’s scary to think that there is a superbug out there. This super bug has a genetic mutation known as NDM-1, which allows the bacteria to create enzymes that chew up antibiotics. This superbug was found in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States. What could make this an ultimate disaster would be if the gene for NDM-1 would transfer to a type of bacteria that is resistant to all antibiotics, as well as being very contagious. For now there hasn’t been a cure found but we hope that in the near future there will be one.
Comment on William's presentation
ReplyDeleteThings like a superbug really shouldn't exist in the first place especially not in such populated places like UK. And really especially not in places like hospitals! I'll never understand why viruses have the need to kill their host. This bug is known for "chewing up" antibiotics and to be very contagious as well. There isn't a cure but the fact that doctors are just throwing random antibiotics at it scares me a little. What if it's just going to grow into a stronger superbug? I guess the best thing to do now is the contain it.
It is interesting how many of the big diseases usually spread at a hospital. For example like AIDS; it started more because a person donated blood and it was infected. And then you have the people that already had plus people that got it because the got blood transfers.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting presentation; kind of scary that this bug is really contagious and how it has spread in a very populated place, and powerful to chew up antibiotics.
Comment on William's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteYour presentation gave me the chills.. A LOT... because we've depended on hospitals so much, and medication that they offer but knowing that the SUPERBUG is mainly found in the hospitals, spooks me a little. I know it's mostly in the UK, but of course, things such as this can spread, and spread, and spread and maybe sooner or later, it's going to reach over here! Yikes! Now, I work in the hospital right now and just learning about this makes me not want to go back. What are we supposed to do if there's no cure?! Are SUPERBUGS going to take over? How are we going to fight them off if they chew up all our antibiotics? Your presentation definitely caught my attention. Quite interesting William.
Comment on William's Presentation
ReplyDeleteThe one word I can use to describe William's presentation is ultimately, "scary". As we make more and more discoveries in the scientific and biological world, the discoveries that come about become more and more frightening. The fact that there is a "superbug", one that is defiant of antibiotics and medications, roaming about our hospitals, is quite chilling - and rather ironic. A hospital should be a place for curing, not a place for contracting diseases. William's presentation was extremely interesting and definitely caught my attention.
Daria commenting on William's presentation...
ReplyDeleteI learned about a brand new strain of a pathogen that was spreading in UK hospitals. The article mentioned an international issue and it was beneficial to find out about it because it has spread to other regions. I also learned that the NDM-1 stands for the first strain of the New Dheli "superbug" which was highly resistant to the strongest antibiotic. This fascinated me because I would love to find out about how exactly it became resistant.
commenting on Williams Presentation
ReplyDeleteWilliams presentation was very interesting. I heard the term "superbug" before but I did not know exactly what it meant. Now i know that "superbugs" are infectious bacteria that are immune to most viruses. William told showed me that these viruses produce enzymes which take apart the Antibiotic and make it impossible for them to still be a threat for the bacteria. Treatment for these Bacteria does not exist yet but Doctors are working on that right now.
Commenting on Nayellie's presentation.
ReplyDeleteNayellie's presentation was interesing in the sense that the thought of dying in ones sleep comes across as a very traumatic situation. But with the information that nayellie had in her presentation helped me look at is from physiological standpoint. I would have maybe like a little more information conserning the actual disease but all in all it was a good presentation.
Commenting on Jaclyn's Presentation.
ReplyDeleteJaclyn's presentation on invirto fertilizeation was increadble interestering. I liked how it happened to be in conjunction on what we talked about in class that day. The idea of freezing embryo's seems alien but finding out that it is actually possible is phenomenal. I find it so strange that even though you were concived in a certain year, you could be forzen for up to 100 more so technically, how old does that make you?
I’m glad to see that my presentation brought to light the meaning of a “superbug” and its ability to eliminate antibiotics, including powerful carbapenems. Although the alteration NDM-1 does not seem like a major threat because it has only been found in a few species of bacterium, it may pose a large threat if the alteration is passed on to a bacterium that is already able to resist most antibiotics, creating an extremely resistant superbug. The information in the presentation was quite short considering that NDM-1 was a newly reported alteration, and only a handful of patients have been found with the alteration. For some of the patients, the infection was mild, while others were seriously ill, and some with blood poisoning. Although the genetic mutation can be transferred through bodily contact, hospital procedures, and food preparation, normal infection control measures such as disinfecting hospital equipment and washing hands with antibacterial soap can stop the spread. Most NDM-1 infections can be treated with a combination of antibiotics, but one specific case of infection has been found to be resistant to all known antibiotics.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is no need to panic over superbugs. They are nearly unstoppable, but are not easily contracted. Simple procedures such as using antibacterial soap, coughing/sneezing into shirt sleeves rather than hands if you are sick, and limiting contact of hands with your face can lower the risk of infection for yourself and for others.
Commenting on Jacklyn's presentation:
ReplyDeleteJacklyn's presentation was extremely interesting and i loved how it tied in to what we are currently learning about in class. It was an excellent reference. Other then her presentation being well put together i thought it was inhuman how the embryo that are "not healthy" enough are killed by freezing them. It may preserve them but i feel that it is a cruel way to treat a human being. Jacklyn's presentation on IVF is therefore very controversial and it would be interesting to see what else technology can solve yet cause conflict between people.
Kim's presentation on the skin disorder was very enlightening. I had no idea such a disease existed. I do admit that in some cartoons i watch there are some characters that suffer from this disease (like people who can't hold on to their bone structure because of the stretchy skin) but i had no idea of the reality of this disorder. it's so fascinating that this disease even exists, but then again there's so much surprising about many disorders, most that i haven't even heard of! Anyway, i found her presentation interesting because i can't imagine how this disorder works, and what's even more fascinating is the way in which this disorder is translated form generation to generation. It's so weird how it's all in genetics. Which makes it even more scary to have because a check up to background descendant's history is necessary to even know if your child might have the possibility of having it. So scary.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Iliana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found Iliana's presentation on the connection between hormones levels, specifically testosterone, and Alzheimer's very interesting. Because my grandmother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, this topic had a personal relevance to it. It also ties in quite nicely to our current topic we're studying in class. I wonder if a male's risk of getting Alzheimer's later on in life can be reduced by taking testosterone pills/shots if they have low levels. Consequently, do people with high levels of testosterone have a lower chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's? I hope that these findings can be used to create a hormone therapy to help those dealing with this diease.
Comment on Kimberly Pham's presentation:
ReplyDeleteKim's presentation on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome was very sad. I learned that people with this disease suffer from lose joints, elastic fragile skin, slow healing, and premature aging. They also can't do much physical activity, because they can easily dislocate something merely by walking. There is no known cure, only drugs for pain and physical therapy to strengthen muscles. The most horrifying part of Kim's presentation was when she talked about how a baby had this disease and every time she tried to crawl she would dislocate her hips. Thankfully her parents heard about the "Second Skin" suit, and after wearing it regularly the girl was able to strengthen her muscles and she no longer dislocated anything. It was a happy ending for the little girl, and hopefully more people can be helped.
Comment to Kim's presentation:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it can be said that this presentation on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome was a bit of a tear jerker. Having to hear about such a rare mutation that has such negative impacts really caught my attention. Poor individuals are limited to activities and suffer from many other factors such as fragile skin, slow healing, and loose joints. Not only that, but knowing that there was a child who suffered from this mutation, because she would always dislocate her hips, was shocking. Having to go through two operations and still having no results until the 'Second skin' was attained really opened my eyes and now I know I should be thankful for everything I have.
Comment on Illiana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteHearing about the connection between low concentration of testosterone and Alzheimer's Disease was something I never thought about. I had a family friend who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, so visualizing him in a biological perspective is sort of strange. I wonder if he were to undergo testosterone therapy like in this study, would it have been possible for his condition to be relieved? The role of hormones in aging and disease is significant in that it ties into memory. My question is: Does testosterone therapy work effeciently for men of all ethnicities? Or better yet, is there something out there for women with Alzheimer's?
Commenting on Illiana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI had never thought about Alzheimer's especially not what kind of hormones may be connected to it. Learning that testosterone levels have an effect on this awful disease presented many questions. One of them being, could the injection of more testosterone reduce the severity of the disease? And if testosterone levels are connected with Alzheimer's in men, what hormone is connected to this disease concerning women? It will be interesting to see what scientists will experiment with next knowing this information and if maybe one day they will be able to reduce the memory loss that Alzheimer's causes.
Georg commenting on Kim's presentation
ReplyDeleteKim's presentation was very interesting. When she was talking about the little kid that continuously dislocates her legs I felt really sad. I am glad to hear about the suit though that according to Kim allows her to lead a fairly normal life. The Biological background is also very interesting since I like the topic Genetics. The Person that suffer from this genetic disorders have problems with the elasticity of their skin as well(I always thought it would be cool if your skin was able to stretch that far but i never actually knew their was a disease that could actually lead to it and that it can be so painful)
Comment on Illiana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteBefore this presentation, I used to believe that Alzheimer's disease was contracted solely because of old age, and that there was little that could be done to prevent it. However, by discovering a link between Alzheimer's disease and low testosterone levels, researchers have opened up new possibilities. It seems that this testosterone treatment has worked well in the past, and has a potential to be developed. Hopefully, researchers will be able to develop a “preventative” type of testosterone treatment for those patients that are at a high risk of contracting Alzheimer's disease.
commenting on Kim's presentation
ReplyDeleteKim's presentation was very interesting. often when we see people with stretchy skin we are fascinated by them. But we dont often thing bout the scientific side of things,Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome a genetic mutation that actually inflicts a lot of pain. Its sad how people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome cant have normal lives since they have fragile skin, slow healing, and loose joints. the saddest part of Kim's presentation was when she talked about the three year old who's hips constantly dislocated. fortunately she had the "second skin" pants that helped her hips stay in place.
Comment on Kim's presentation:
ReplyDeleteKim's presentation was sad but interesting too. It's a little confusing to me, is it called second skin because they have skin instead of where they should have something to support their joints? And they have slow healing because they replace other cells with skin cells? But then they have fragile skin and it seems like they should have stronger skin. In any case, this is just one more disease that is quite unfortunate and has many terribly sad stories about the people who have it like that little baby who kept dislocating her hips. Hopefully that second skin suit thing works out all right in the long run and everybody is able to get one.
Comment on Kim's presentation:
ReplyDeleteKim's presentation was, interesting...The part that stood out to me the most, was how doctors created the "second skin suit" to help the little girl from dislocating her hips all the time. It really shows how the skin, bones and muscles work together, as well as the importance of skin in movement and shape. The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is extremely scary, especially the symptoms. I can't imagine constantly breaking my bones and having droopy skin on my face - before the age of 40. Her presentation also served as a minor review for genetics. I hope to learn more about the genetic disorder in the future.
Daria commenting on Kim's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI really liked Kim's presentation because it was over something I had never heard of before. I still don't quite understand what collagen is but it is really sad to imagine children with constant dislocation problems. The second skin was a great solution, in my opinion.
Comment on Kim's presentation:
ReplyDeleteKim's presentation was really good because I learned about the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and that the collagen in connective tissue helps tissues to resist deformation.
I reviewed about the genetic, dominate, recessive, heterozygous, and homozygous. It is scary to know that this syndrome is dominant, though thankfully it is not too common. Also it was nice to know that this little girl that had this disorder was able to over come it thanks to the "second skin suit" helped her from dislocating her hips.
Comment on Stacy's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteI thought Stacy's presentation on the 3D artificial ovary was awesome! I never knew such an invention was possible! It’s interesting how they could manipulate the 3 ovarian type cells, two of them being theca and granulosa. I didn’t know granulosa produced progesterone either. I think the benefits in creating a 3D artificial ovary goes along with what Dr. Sigworth said. Someone with cancer who might not have any healthy eggs due to radiation and chemotherapy may look at a 3D artificial ovary so then can acquire mature eggs to become pregnant. This new development of the ovary will be good in the possibility of preserving the fertility of women.
Comment over Stacys presentation
ReplyDeleteIts amazing how science continues progressing i would have never thought that could be done... so now that that is done it makes me wonder if we can start forming a child and actually carry it to full term outside of a mother womb! with the artificial ovary it opens so many doors to new discoveries that can be made!
comment of ilianas presentation
ReplyDeletei always thought that alzheimers was linked to a old person type of disease and now that we know its becuase of testosterone levels its good but kind of scary because it makes me think what other diseases are linked to other parts in our body that lack the ability to make a sufficient amount of something.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteComment to Ashley's presentation:
ReplyDeleteKeratosis Pilaris, also known as "chicken skin," was completely new to me. First of all, I really liked how Ashley took the personal approach to this assignment and linked it to herself. Simply by knowing that half the population has it, and doesn't even know it, was a bit intimidating. Being common among adolescence also added to the uneasy feelings about this presentation, but all signs of relief were revealed when the skin condition was said to be harmless. I learned that the reason behind this skin condition derives from too much keraton (accumulation in hair follicles). Seasons also affect the condition in that during the winter, the skin is dryer, making the symptoms worse. I also learned that it is an inherited skin condition(autosomal dominant). Unfortunately, there are no real treatments except ways of covering it up, such as moderate sun tanning. Overall, I thought this presentation was very interesting, and Ashley did a great job with presenting to the class.
Though my presentation was mainly depressing, due to the little girl, it's very good to hear that you guys found my presentation interesting. Honestly, I didn't want to focus on a topic that most people knew or heard about because I wanted to intrigue everybody and give ya'll something new to talk about. Personally, I find Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome a very sad and scary disease because I can't imagine my own body acting on its own, meaning dislocating without me doing anything intentionally. I mean, I have had my knee dislocated a few times, and it's definitely not something I would want to go through everyday of my life. Also, a very sad thing about this disease is that people don't tend to live past their 40's and as you grow older, the disease gets worse. Who would want their life to end so quickly? And the baby girl, born without hip sockets made my research even more intriguing. I mainly searched up rare syndromes and when I saw EDS, I thought "WOW! Stretchy skin! How cool!" But as I began my research, turned out to be not so cool. But bottom line, I hope ya'll learned something new and if it helps you feel better, if your parents didn't have, you probably don't either, and neither will your children. We are very lucky if we think about it, and by researching such things, it helps us realize that, even though it tends to be sad learning about it.
ReplyDeleteComment on Kim's Presentation
ReplyDeleteThrough Kim's presentation, I learned that Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a genetic mutation with symptoms such as fragile skin, loose joints, and slow healing. The saddest part of the presentation was of the little girl who was born without any hip sockets. The "Second Skin" suit was a good solution, keeping her hips in place and allowing her to play and walk normally.
Comment on Ana’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteSelf-injury is really a very scary thing. I’ve known people to go through it, and I agree with the presentation, that people aren’t just doing for attention. Putting a biological explanation to this frightening situation can help shed some light on the subject. The brain is such a complex part of our bodies; and as human beings, such emotional creatures, the physiological aspects of ourselves can drastically alter our personal health and well-being. While we get the joys of feeling love and friendship, we also have to deal with the pain and trauma life can bring.
Comment on Kim’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteEhler-Danlos Syndrome seems like a really difficult disorder to live with. The first thing I thought of when I saw the first picture in Kim’s presentation were the people that used to travel in freak shows, one being a man with extremely stretchy skin. These people weren’t really “freaks” most probably had some form of genetic disorder that science and medicine of the time simply couldn’t recognize. As the presentation continued though, I realized this condition meant a lot more than stretchy skin. The constant dislocations are what really struck me. The story of the little girl with EHler-Danlos Syndrome was heartbreaking; I couldn’t imagine being her parents. But thank god for the use of the second skin suit. If I had some kind of disorder this serious I would definitely have to think long and hard about taking the chance of passing it down through my children.
Comment on Ashley Thurow’s Presentation:
ReplyDeleteAshley’s presentation on Keratosis Pilaris, also called “Chicken Skin”, was very interesting. The skin condition is present on half of the population and many people do not even know that they have it. However, the skin condition is harmless so we do not have to worry about it that much. Keratosis Pilaris is the skin condition that causes bumps on arms and thighs. It is caused by the accumulation of Keratin in hair follicles. The only way you can get this disease is by inheriting it. You cannot cure it, but you can treat it so that it won’t appear as much. This can be done through oil pulling, diet, exfoliation, and moderate sun tanning. The most interesting part of Ashley's presentation was that pregnancy increases the amount of keratin in the body, and makes the skin condition worse, and after that same person gives birth it goes back to normal, and the skin condition gets better.
Comment on Ashley Thurow’s Presentation:
ReplyDeleteAshley’s presentation on Keratosis Pilaris was very interesting. The skin condition also known as "chicken skin" is present on half of the population and many people do not even know that they have it. Keratosis Pilaris is caused by the accumulation of Keratin in hair follicles which cause bumps on the surface of the thighs and arms. The only way you can get this disease is by inheriting it but thankfully it is not dangerous. It is not curable but there are may methods used to diminish its appearance. This can be done through oil pulling, exfoliation,watching ones diet and moderate sun tanning (darker skin ,makes the bumps less visible). Pregnancy increases the amount of keratin in the body, and makes the skin condition worsen.
Commenting on Stacy:
ReplyDeleteI thought Stacy's presentation on the 3D artifical ovary was amazing. I didn't think that scientists were able to create an invention that allowed the development of an egg outside a female body. This would benefit women who have cancer and whose healthy eggs would be ruined by the chemotherapy; the artificial ovary would function as a safehouse to the eggs. I wonder how much this treatment would cost and if there is any ethical dilemmas behind it. It's incredible that the scientists were able to duplicate the ovarian cell types, such as the theca and the granulosa. Will scientists be able eventually create an artificial womb where fetuses could develop? Of course, that concept has many ethical issues with it.
Commenting on Ashley’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteAshley’s presentation was very insightful. I learned about a disease called Keratosis Pilaris. This disease is present in many people, it is transmitted through genes. Keratosis Pilaris is a disease that causes the skin to act different, luckily it is not fatal. The disease is caused by accumulation of keratin in the hair follicles. Treatment includes healthy diets, moderate sun tanning and oil pulling. I find the information Ashley provided about the increase of the condition during and after pregnancy.
Stacy's presentation on the 3D artifical ovary was very interesting, especially since it related so well to our topic in class. It will be interesting to follow this creation to see what they will be able to do for woman whose ovaries are unable to mature normally. This could be a breakthrough for helping woman be able to have children who before would not have been able to. It's impressive that they were able to create this fake ovary, but it scares me a little bit because this may be a foreshadowing to the ability to clone outside the body. The idea of that scares me.
ReplyDeleteComment on Ashley's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteKeratosis Pilaris, also known as "Chicken skin" is a disease that is contracted through inheritance. About 1/2 of Americans have it but don't realize that they do. It is a skin condition that is caused by the accumulation of Keratin in hair follicles. Although it is not dangerous, it causes red bumps to appear on the arms and legs in place of hair follicles. There is no available cure, but there are methods that can lessen its appearance such as: oil pulling, a healthy diet, sun tanning, and exfoliation.
Illiana's presentation discussing the connection between the lack of testosterone levels to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease was interesting to me due to the seemingly random connection. I find it intriguing that researchers are able to find links such as this one that correlates the endocrine/reproductive system and the nervous system (im guessing neurons are related to memory since they are a large component of the brain). Im hoping this connection leads to a solution to the disease in the future.
ReplyDeleteComment on Stacy's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found your presentation on the artificial ovary very interesting. Previously, I did not know that such a thing existed. I am not sure about how available it might be at the moment, but I know that such a technology can be used in the future to help women who want to become pregnant, but cannot produce healthy eggs. It seems as if the artificial ovary has brought scientists a step closer to being able to clone a person, although I'm not sure whether that's a good thing.
Daria commenting on Ashley's presentation
ReplyDeleteI now know what I have! KP. This presentation was neat because it was about a condition that many people struggle with. Having too much of anything in your body can have negative effects so when the keratin builds up, it can show through your skin. Keratin is a protein from which your skin and nails are made from so when that builds up in the folicles red bumps may appear. I found it interesting that oil pulling was a method of improving this condition.
Ashley's presentation:
ReplyDeleteThe presentation was really interesting, and i didn't know that many people had KP. Now I understand the reason why people have rashes, I thought it was only dry skin; but in fact it is Keratin that builds up. Which causes red bumps and looks like rashes.
overall great presentation!
I found Jaclyn's presentation to actually be quite interesting, especially with the fact that it tied in to what we were currently learning in class at that time. The fact that the department at Stanford was able to find the technology and have the ability to predict such high numbers for the probability that the embryos would later successfully develop later on is truly appalling, but yet also a great accomplishment for technology. All in all, a great presentation with a good information background.
ReplyDeletecomment on Iliana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteIliana's presentation was something that appealled to me greatly as I found it to be somewhat similar to my presentation on the link between neurodegenerative diseases and disturbances in REM sleep. I never thought that there would be an actual link between testosterone levels and the prominence of Alzeihmers in people and I found this to be extremely interesting. I do have my random wonderings though, such as does this mean that all individuals with a smaller amount of testosterone in their system WILL eventually develop Alzeihmers? Also, does this mean that the disease would be more prominent in males?
Nevertheless, I do believe that this was an interesting topic, and I would like to keep up with the research being done on it.
Comment on Stacy's presentation:
ReplyDeleteWhile I found Stacy's presentation to be quite interesting, I was a little confused as to what the purpose an artificial ovary would serve? Even though it would be able to mature eggs for women that may have issues with this, what would then happen to the egg? It's not as if an egg can mature and grow into a fetus in an ovary. Yes, the eggs could be used for IV fertilization, but the technology is already there to mature the eggs, so therefore this may be redundant. However, the fact that scientists were able to come up with a way to produce an artificial ovary by itself stands for a great jump in technology, and it really is something incredible that they have achieved.
I’m really glad that everyone thought that my presentation was interesting. At first I also thought, like Stacy and Juan, that Alzheimer’s disease was caused by old age. But when I started reading the article I found out that hormones have to do with this disease and it surprised me. I also started wondering what else hormones can do to the human body in relation to disease. Sadly I couldn’t find out anything about what causes Alzheimer’s on women but I would love to find out as well.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Stacy's Presentation.
ReplyDeleteI think this was one of the most interesting presentations that we have had this year. I recently watched a program about ovarian grafts and the onset of premature menopause and i found that the possibility of artificial ovaries extremely interesting in this sense. I was intrigued by the thought that they could mature eggs outside the body and the potential for this technology is immense.
Commenting on Jaclyn's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI liked how Jaclyn's presentation tied in with what we were learning at the time. It helped in understanding the material and really understanding IVF. I thought it was interesting that they froze some of the eggs. I had not known that and find it quite strange because I didnt know it was even possible. It makes me wonder how long they can stay frozen before they are no longer usefull. All in all i thought the presentation was well done and very informational, which was great.
Commenting on Ashley's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to finally learn more about KP, since I know so many people that have it. The fact that it's excess keratin build-up really makes a lot more sense. I honestly, didn't know much about those pesky red bumps that appeared on so many people's skin before Ashley's presentation. Her presentation was short, simple and overall, collected and interesting. The most interesting part of her presentation was when she talked about oil pulling - I had no idea that such a thing could be done to rid so many problems.
Commenting on Iliana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteIliana’s presentation on the connection of testosterone levels in men and Alzheimer’s disease was extremely intriguing. I believe her presentation went well because her information was descriptive and clear. From her presentation I’ve learned that testosterone levels affect whether an individual may have Alzheimer’s disease or not. This new discovery in the medical field can lead to many new discoveries as well as solutions for Alzheimer’s or other disease dealing with old age, so I believe. In addition I however wanted to know if testosterone levels in women also determined whether they have Alzheimer’s or would it be the opposite of testosterone but in women?
Commenting on Stacy's presentation:
ReplyDeleteScience has once again outshined its self. Stacy’s presentation shows just that. The creation of the 3D artificial ovary I believe should be one of the newest greatest discoveries of our time. This would be an awesome solution for women who either have eggs that cannot mature correctly or those many surviving female cancer patients that are no longer able to make healthy eggs because of their chemo treatments. It does seem to have a cultural controversy to it though since strict religions believe a baby should not be grown anywhere else other then inside the women. But this new discovery makes me ponder whether it would be possible to fully make a baby outside the women’s uterus, not like a test tube baby but more like an entire fetus.
Comment on Peter's presentation:
ReplyDeletePeter's presentation on the Long Term Benefits of Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation for Depression was strange in my opinion. I did not know that there was a treatment, or an electrical pulse (TMS), that could stimulate sertonin and dopamine in the brain. Usually, when it comes to depression treatments,psychoanalysis, drugs, and therapy come into mind. I knew that mood was controlled in the left prefrontal cortex, but I did not know it was possible to sit in a chair so magnetic waves could change your mood. The idea is a bit odd, but if TMS is FDA approved, non-invasive, and no sedation is not needed, than I think TMS could be a good last resort treatment for patients with depression. I remember that 121/ 142 completed TMS without relapse so that's good too!
The process of TMS (or therapy, rather) that Peter presented on was interesting. The state of depression is a concept that is difficult for me to grasp. I don't know how people determine the difference between having a bad day (or week) versus being depressed. So, following that, I find it bizarre that exciting a certain area of the brain can help "cure" depression. I understand the release of chemicals such as dopamine can make someone feel happier but its very interesting to me that the daily stimulation can have a lasting, long-term affect. The results of the studies showed TMS works, which is great news, but it's hard for me to fully trust the procedure 100%.
ReplyDeleteIts funny how many of us complain about being depressed but in reality most of us would not really know how it feels like to be clinically depressed... following that comment i wonder if its the same "depressed" feeling and if it is what is the difference between us being depressed for a day and for others who actually have to take medication to control there depression
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Peter's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found TMS to be a very interesting concept. Like most everyone in our class, I used to think that treatments for depression were limited to medication and therapy. However, now that I think of it, the concept of TMS seems very logical. I don't know much about the brain, but I do know that the brain uses electrical impulses to function. Therefore, “talking” to the brain using electrical impulses seems possible, at least theoretically. What I don't understand, though, is how TMS is targeted towards the left prefrontal cortex, and specifically, the part that regulates the production of serotonin and dopamine. Without strict control, couldn't TMS accidentally target other sections of the brain, causing unwanted actions?
Commenting on Iliana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found the topic of testosterone levels possibly determining one's chances of Alzheimer's interesting. If more focus is given to this topic, a cure or suppressor for Alzheimer's could be found within a few years. Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease that can cause lots of heartbreak in families since it causes people to forget their own children. Curing this would be a miracle in many people's eyes. What I'm wondering is if it concerns only men or if women with Alzheimer's also have lower than average testosterone levels.
Commenting on Stacey's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found the idea of an artificial ovary very interesting. I know several people personally who are unable to reproduce due to ovarian problems but desperately want children. This would provide an amazing opportunity for them. I'm curious, however, as to how well the children resulting from this ovary will be able to live.
Commenting on Peter's presentation:
ReplyDeleteHaving known many people suffering from clinical depression, including myself, I am very interesting in the idea of TMS. Depression can be debilitating both mentally and physically. Oftentimes, medication and/or therapy is insufficient and more drastic measures must be taken. TMS seems to be a worst case scenario type of treatment since it virtually involves sending electricity to the brain. Sometimes, depression is caused by an underlying medical condition and, in case like these, TMS should most likely not be used. Many people will first try some more "new age" treatments, such as vitamins or "aligning one's chakras" before seek the help of a therapist or liscensed psychiatrist. Only when all other options have run out should someone try TMS as I expect it would be very expensive.
Comment to Michelle Lin's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteMichelle's presentation on both restless leg syndrome and fibrositis was both very interesting and new to me. For starters, restless leg syndrome gave me an uneasy feeling due to it being a neurological disorder and individuals who have it say that it is 'like insects crawling inside legs.' Unfortunately, the only treatments are lifestyles changes, hot baths, and hot pads, meaning that one has to resolve the problem on their own. Fibrositis definitely scared me in that it is pain in muscles and joints. Not only that, but fibrositis causes fatigue and anxiety. To make matters worse, they is no known cause, however, what is known is that exercise, stretching muscles, and medical therapies can help. Great presentation.
Kabrina commenting on Peter's Presentation:
ReplyDeletePeter's presentation was quite interesting to me as I found it to be an interesting topic to have been exposed to. The fact that the world is making such progress with the success of non-invasive techniques is very exciting, as it shows the human race is making progress in bettering the medical treatments we have today. I also really enjoyed his presentation because of the links there was with the topic which we are currently learning about in class.
Comment on Michelle Lin's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteMichelle's presentation over Restless Leg Syndrome and Fibromyalgia was very interesting. I learned that Restless Leg Syndrome was a neurological disorder, and it gives you uncontrollable urge to move your legs or feet because of unpleasant sensations. Some people say that it feels like bugs are crawling on their legs. There is no cure and the symptoms can worsen with age, however it is believed that through sleeping well you're symptoms can get better. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes stiffness, tenderness, and pain of muscles, tendons, and joints. There is also no treatment but to help you get better you can stretch, for example you can take Yoga, use heat, exercise, and get medical therapies. It has been found that these diseases are caused by lack of sleep. After a certain amount of time of being asleep you get into a deeper sleep, known as Stage 4 sleep, here your muscles can recover. However, since some people don't have enough sleep their body can't recover and they can get these diseases.
Comment on Peter's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found Peter's presentation on Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) very interesting. It seems like a very innovative, new technique to treating severe depression without the use of preforming actual surgery. I wonder how someone is diagnosed as clinically depressed? The machine that the TMS is preformed on looks a lot like a dentists chair, just with an extra arm that is pointed at your brain. Have researchers studied any long lasting effects of electrical impulses on the brain? could TMS be used to cure other neurological problems?
I'm glad to hear the positive response to my presentation. When I was deciding what to focus my presentation on, I thought I'd do something that I had a personal connection to. Turns out others were able to make personal connections to KP as well, whether they had it themselves or knew of someone who did.
ReplyDeleteThere is one thing that I wanted to clear up though, the idea that the excess of keratin causes rashes. This is not true, Keratosis Pilaris is NOT a rash, and there is not physical pain or discomfort in relation to it. The excess of keratin simply changes the appearance and texture of the hair follicles which contain it.
Comment on Michelle's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Michelle's presentation. It focused on two conditions I knew relatively nothing about and was tied personally to her. The two conditions were Restless Leg Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I found it really interesting that the two actually connect to each other. The article she used, which studied the effects of sleep on these two conditions, was fascinating. It's nice to know that by improving RLS, a condition that has a fair amount of treatment, the symptoms of the less-treatable Fibromyalgia can be lessened. It really shows just how important sleep really is...no wonder I'm always sick, I almost never get enough sleep.
Comment on Michelle's presentation:
ReplyDeleteMichelle's presentation was really interesting. I've heard about Restless Leg Syndrome on commercials and it's true, it almost sounds like a pharmaceutical scam because you move a bit and now you need these pills but Michelles's proof that this condition is real. Fibromyalgia sounds terrible, I wouldn't want to be in constant pain when the doctors can't find anything wrong with me. That's like my hypocondria becoming real, scary. The sleep part is scary since even somebody told me once that I'm going to die earlier with the amount of sleep I get, I thought they were joking.
Commenting on Stacy’s presentation
ReplyDeleteI really thought Stacy’s presentation was really interesting, I never thought that someone could be able to make an artificial ovary. It’s really great that technology is advancing that far to the point of making 3D ovaries; it really makes me wonder how far technology can go.
Commenting on Peter’s presentation
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear about depression the first thing that comes to mind is pills, and treatment, but I have never heard of TMS. Is really interesting how electric impulses can affect the production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. In the long run this treatment can prove to be beneficial to patients, rather than just be bombarded with drugs.
commenting on Michelle lin's presentation:
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to know about these syndromes; personally I had never found out about them. Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Restless Legs Syndrome(RLS)actually seem to have a connection because in 2008 a study showed, that 64% of patients with FMS also had RLS. Also it is said most doctors, researchers and FMS patients will tell you that the better you sleep, the milder your FMS symptoms will become. Getting a good night's sleep, however, is easier said than done. The first step toward sleeping better is to diagnose and treat any sleep disorders you may have, which usually involves a sleep study.
I'm really glad that my presentation was found so intriguing by my classmates. Both RLS and Fibromyalgia are little known disorders of little proof, but I definitely believe that they are actual conditions. I really hope that my presentation helped my peers understand the importance of sleep, and the role sleep plays in keeping us healthy. I also hope that Restless Legs Syndrome and Fibromyalgia continue to be studied, and I can't wait to read more about both in the future.
ReplyDeleteComment on Michelle Lin’s Presentation
ReplyDeleteRestless Leg Syndrome is a neurological disorder that is characterized by a tingling and creeping feeling on the legs, and the irresistible urge to move one’s legs. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain all over the body. A person with Fibromyalgia frequently feels exhausted. Restless Leg Syndrome along with Fibromyalgia are both caused by a lack of sleep. People who have either of these diseases are not able to go into Stage 4 sleep, which is an important stage of sleep in which muscles recover. Since they are not able to recover, their muscles are always sore/in pain.
Comment on Michelle's presentation:
ReplyDeleteMichelle's presentation was pretty cool. Her presentation was about Restless Leg Syndrome, something she personally experienced. This neurological disorder often leave sit patients feeling tingling and creeping feeling on the legs, and the irresistible urge to move one’s legs. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain all over the body. Restless Leg Syndrome along with Fibromyalgia are both caused by a lack of sleep do to their inability to reach stage four of there sleep. This in return does no let the body recuperate from a long day.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMeesh's presentation on the leg syndrome was actually frightening. The whole thingy sensation that some of the body parts get and the pain inflicted is so hard to imagine. When i think of this i can only imagine those sudden movements we have when we sleep, like a sudden move of the foot or had, it's just weird. Anyway what really scared me the most was that some of the people diagnosed with this syndrome were under stress, although it's not really proved, this or the lack of sleep. I think about how many of us actually get all the sleep we need, and i had no idea that it had such extremes effects. Especially the people diagnosed with this and their inability to reach stage 4 in their sleeping. That's just scary.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Peter's Presentation:
ReplyDeletePeter’s presentation over TMS was innovative and interesting. I never thought that depression could be treated by sending signals into the brain that would stimulate something to lower depression; I always thought depression could only be treated through taking pills. This to me is a break though in science since it is a new non-surgical way of “fixing” someone. I learned a lot from Peter’s presentation but I do have a question for him: Are there any side effects of doing this procedure? What are they?
Commenting on Peter's Presentation:
ReplyDeletePeter's presentation on TMS was very interesting and different. I didn't know that there were other methods of treating depression and thought consuming pills was the only way.But because its a new method I myself wouldn't trust it. It seems as if many problems would come with it. Could this possibly be addictive, just like pills? And what if a patient is wrongly diagnosed with depression and goes through with TMS? what would be the effects then? But it is still pretty awesome that such a machine uses a magnet in it's process to stimulate the brain.It's a little strange yet awesome at the same time. It really shows how technology and medicine are evolving.
I found Janet's presentation interesting due to the controversy the experiment she investigated sparks. I don't think testing animals is completely cruel in all cases. However, in this case I think it is unnecessary cruelty to animals since this experiment was already carried out 40 years ago, and they have that data. Like Dr. Sigworth said, it is interesting as well that such prestigious institutions are involved with the experiments, like one of Harvard's schools. I think all experiments should be transparent, allowing anyone to see what procedure is taking place. If there is nothing to hide, then there should be no problem being transparent. Giving up a job at NASA is huge, but I think it was great for Evans to take such a large step to show her disagreement with NASA's secrecy. I hope that NASA will come clean soon so we can see what blasting monkey's with radiation will teach us because at this point it just seems cruel with no results.
ReplyDeleteComment to Yasmin's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteYasmin’s presentation on how Broccoli could possibly help arthritis was definitely something new. I learned that osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease in which cartilage becomes weaker in joints, hands, feet, and the spine as well. The unfortunate side to this, like that of any other disease, is that the cause is not clear. What is known is that it can run in the family, be caused by being overweight, overuse of sports, and hemophilia that can cause bleeding joints. One thing that was not surprising was that applying heat, such as IcyHot, can be used as a treatment for this. The most interesting part of this presentation was that a new study if being launched to investigate the benefits of broccoli and how it could possible fight against arthritis. This three year project will surely have interesting results if it is successful.
Comment on Janet's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Bryana said concerning Janet's presentation. I too believe that testing on animals is not completley cruel. It just depends on the situation and cicumstance. For NASA's incident involving radiation and on squirrel monkeys, I think April Evans had every right to express her concern, even if it meant losing he job. If NASA cannot publish results from the experiment, I feel like there is no benefit from exposing the monkeys to that type of treatment (being put on a chair, confined to a 4-wall room, etc). I just don't find it right for NASA to have a policy on animals, yet in this test 40 years ago, they didn't follow it.
Commenting on Janet's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found Janet's presentation on the NASA animal testing very interesting. While I do believe that animal experimentation for scientific purposes is not cruel, but rather necessary, the testing that NASA wants to carry out is immoral and wrong simply becase it is unecessary. If NASA wants to know the effects of aspace radiation on humans, they can simply use the data that was collected 40 years ago. Furthermore, the data that NASA is currently seeking to collect would be irrelevant because of the space radiation dosage amounts administered to the monkeys, no human would be exposed to that much radiation at one time anyway. As Dr. Sigworth pointed out, I think it is interesting that the testing is being conducted at prestigeous institutions, such as Harvard's research school. I am curious as to the result of this controversy, whether NASA will continue on with this testing.
Commenting on Janet's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI thought Janet's presentation was really good. I liked the topic because it was something contreversial and something that can be looked at in different views. In my opnion though, the testing on monkeys for reasons that are unclear is pretty cruel. I think that NASA should probably explain their experiment better so that people may understand their intentions. Overall though, I thought it was interesting that Janet chose to present such a contreversial topic. It could have been disasterous but it truned out really well.
I was really surprised that Broccoli may help maintain the cartilage between the bones. osteoarthritis sound pretty serious, and Yasmin's presentation actually taught me what broccoli can do to help my bones. Although proper experimentation of this "broccoli theory" has not been made, it is hopeful to know that we might be able to rely on a vegetable to help us with our bones, especially against a disease like osteoarthritis. The test will take about three years, and this is a long time, but arthritis is increasing in many parts of the world and more and more people are getting diagnosed with this disease. Whatever is needed to be done for it to be put into a halt is a necessity, perhaps through this future research a cure can be found.
ReplyDeleteComment on Yasmin Lozano’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteYasmin’s presentation on osteoarthritis was very interesting. I learned that osteoarthritis is a branch of arthritis, where your cartilage loosens and becomes weaker gradually in the joints, especially in the hands, feet, spine, hips and knees. In the United Kingdom, osteoarthritis affects about six million people. There is no clear cause for osteoarthritis but it is related to aging, heredity, being overweight, fractures in joints, overuse at work or sports, hemophilia, and avascular necrosis. Scientists are currently doing a project to investigate how sulforaphane, a compound produced by broccoli, can block the enzymes that cause joint destruction in osteoarthritis.
Comment on Yasmin’s Presentation:
ReplyDeleteOsteoarthritis is the chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints, most commonly affecting people over 40 years of age. The possibility that broccoli might prevent or slow down the onset of osteoarthritis was pretty surprising. Although not yet proven, broccoli may block enzymes that cause joint destruction associated with osteoarthritis. Applying IcyHot to the affected area(s) or taking Tylenol and other medications can help to relieve the pain. Although the exact cause of osteoarthritis is unclear, it may be caused by a person’s lifestyle or genetics. If, after the three year study, broccoli is proven to prevent and/or slow down the onset of osteoarthritis, it could become a thrifty alternative to medical treatments for people who suffer from osteoarthritis.
I'm happy to see that my presentation interested my peers. I hope that my presentation expanded their knowledge of Osteoarthritis, what the causes are, what is being done to treat it, and how it functions. I will like to hear more about the experiment and what scientists are able to able to conclude about the effects of broccoli on Osteoarthritis. I hope that this experiment is successful and that this helps us get one step closer to finding the cure for Osteoarthritis.
ReplyDeleteComment to Yasmin's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteI learned important information from Yasmin's presentation. I learned that arthritis can be combatted with broccoli and that supposedly it helps decrease the breakdown of cartilage. When the layer of cartilage decreases there is increased friction of two bones which causes pain which increases with continued movement. This sadly only applies to osteoarthritis. I think it was very interesting to know that broccoli which is usually considered healthy has another positive aspect about it as a way to treat this disease. This will probably cause mothers to feed their children even more broccoli. Sadly more information is needed to make sure broccoli really actually can be used as a "natural medicine". I also find the information that icey-hot can be used to minimize pain in osteoarthritis very interesting. I am glad that this presentation has given me so much more knowledge about this disease and Possible ways to treat it.
Commenting on Yasmin's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I would like to say that I loved the title to your presentation. Very creative. Now, from your presentation, I have learned about arthritis more in depth and simply hearing about joint destruction causes me to cringe. I can't imagine having my bones rub up against one another. It sounds pretty painful already, and due to the fact I have the tendency to dislocate my knee a lot, makes me worry! It's pretty cool that scientists have come to the idea of broccolis. Now, I might just start eating my broccolis as well. Overall, I like it Yasmin!
Janets presentation was one of the those situations that you know is going on but you try to keep it in the back of your head. The abuse of animals in any way even if its for our benefit is wrong. The worst part about the NASA experiments is that they are not even for sure that this experiment is being done accurately, so why continue with an experiment that is based off of guessing its accuracy?
ReplyDeleteDaria commenting on Yasmin's presentation.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that countries are just now finding out the perks of food, besides sustaining life. Green vegetables, such as brocolli, provide the body with not only calories but also antioxidants. As to reducing problems with joints, eating healthier is a great way to start delaying the onset of such pains. I liked how most presentations, this one in particular, go to show that eating healthier can help avoid or reduce the disadvantages that come with aging.
Commenting Yasmin's presentation:
ReplyDeleteIt is good to know that there are different kind of arthritis, I personally didn't know that there were different branches of it; like osteoarthritis. From this presentation I gathered information and a fact is that Osteoarthritis is the chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints. Also I loved to know that broccoli, provides antioxidants, that reduce the problems with joints, and it is healthy for your body. So now I shall eat more broccoli. :)
Comment on Janet's presentation
ReplyDeleteTopics like this one are always interesting to discuss because of how controversial they are. I too agree on the fact that most experiments done on animals are "wrong" because of the poor conditions they have to live in, and the abuse they have to take. However, it seems to me that thee must be something valuable that can be gained from these expeiments. As wrong as it may seem, the experimentation going on is being conducted by the most prestigious scientific institutions, which makes it difficult for me to question them right away. My only wish is that they would be more "open" about the experiments, so that we would have a better understanding of what is going on.
Michelle commenting on Yasmin's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Yasmin's presentation because broccoli is one of my favorite foods, and it's quite reassuring to know that it provides antioxidants to reduce problems in joints. I've always loved broccoli and I knew it was healthy, but I had never actually learned about it's benefits in detail. I also enjoyed learning more about arthritis and the different branches of it - arthritis has been an extremely popular topic throughout these presentations.
I am glad that people enjoyed my presentation. I did understand that I was risking something since it is very controversial. When I saw this article, however, I realized this is a case that everyone should be aware of. I think it is necessary to experement on animals in some cases but this is not one of them. NASA has no set goal (or at least none that they will tell us about) and they have not set out a more comfortable environment for the squirrel monkeys. Like Juan said, the fact that prestigious institutions are also participating makes it seem more credible. Those institutions are also withholding information, though. They do have data from 40 years ago that they can use. 40 years ago, a scientist had come to NASA and asked them for funding on an experiment to see the effects of space radiation. Once the experiment was completed, they recorded the information, which they can still access today. They can therefore not say that they no longer have the information. If NASA could come up with a set goal for these experiments (e.g. disproving a conclusion made in the last experiments, verifying that they data is correct) and would tell us what the purpose was, I see no problem in conducting these experiments. Space radiation is something that we need to worry about. Not only does it affect out astronauts when they finally leave Earth's "peach fuzz" (meaning the area that is still protected by the Earth's natural forces like gravity and orbit), but it also affects us since space radiation can come from things like solar flares, which would affect us.
ReplyDeleteMichelle commenting on Ruth's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoyed Ruth's presentation. It was a little hard to follow at first, but after watching the video and having a small class discussion, it became clear to me. The Immune System has been my favorite topic this year, and I really enjoyed learning more about the actions of cytotoxic cells. I had never heard of perforin until Ruth's presentation, and now, I am more aware of how a cytotoxic cell destroys a sick cell. It's also really interesting to see how cancer treatment research is evolving, and the different advancements made in the scientific world regarding this deadly disease. Everything seems to tie together, which is what I love about Biology.
Kabrina's comment on Janet's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteJanet's presentation came across as very interesting, as it was quite a controversial topic, and I had no idea that such experiments would even be legally allowed. Nevertheless, I do agree with what everyone else is saying in that even though the conditions and treatment are both harsh for the animals being experimented on, in the end, we can take vital information from this and thus continue on research in this particular area. One thing I did not support though, was the fact that NASA had not supplied an actual hypothesis per say, they just radiated the squirrel monkeys to see what would happen, which indeed makes it as controversial as it seems. Nevertheless, it was a good, informative presentation, and whilst it was a tad vague, it was very eye-opening.
Comment to Ruth's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found Ruth's presentation on the "death" protein very interesting. It goes without saying that 'death' is definitely a great description of this protein in that it defeats cancer and other diseases. I thought it was very interesting how the whole process is similar to that of exocytosis. I also learned that perforin is an uncovered protein that is in the body. A result from the whole process that stood out as strang to me was that immune mediated damage can be caused by perforin. Perforin has even been stated as 'our body's weapon of cleansing and death' in that it is similar to toxic bacteria and is made up from bacteria as well. However, even though there may be some frightening results, it has been said to be a breakthrough for cancer, malaria, and diabetes. Great presentation.
Comment to Yasmin's presentation:
ReplyDeleteYour presentation made me feel good about making myself eat my broccoli although I thought at first you said it caused that type of arthritis and I was scared. It's interesting that certain foods prevent certain illnesses. It was really sad though that the people who get this are in pain every time they move since they don't have any cartilage and their bone rubs against bone. It sends shivers down my joints. It was interesting to learn about this though because I was always seeing commercials for this a while ago.
Comment to Ruth's presentation:
ReplyDeleteRuth's presentation was really well done and very in depth! A little hard to read though, next time use white font? It makes me happy that there is research being done about the "death" protein since it seems like a breakthrough in treating incurable diseases. Great choice of video too, it helped me understand the whole process of how our cells get killed by the protein no matter how bad I felt for the damaged cell. I really hope they can now cure malaria, diabetes, and cancer since they really are terrible diseases that are better off in test tubes and not in people.
Commenting on Ashley’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteWow who knew over half the population has Keratosis Pilaris, or Chicken Skin, and doesn’t even realize it. I’m pretty sure my dad has it but I didn’t seem to inherit it. I learned that chicken skin is a skin condition where keratin blocks their hair follicles causing red bumps to appear like razor burn. There’s no cure but at least it’s not life-threatening. Just eat a healthy diet but that seems to be the solution to everything these days.
I loved Ruth's presentation. At first I was confused but soon enough after talking about it some more as well as watching the videos I understood it better. What I found really interesting I would love to hear more about is its relationship with cancer. I find it fascinating how we have known about the immune system for such along time,yet it is barely going to be investigated. I hope that scientist are able to better understand the benefits of Perforin and find a cure for cancer, diabetics and malaria.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Janet's presentation regarding the experiments that NASA conducted on animals. I personally have relatively strong opinions regarding animal testing and found it very engaging to head about the conditions that they were kept under. I was particularly interested in the chair that is used and would like to know more about it.
ReplyDeleteBryana's presentation was insightful and informative as usual and it was extremely interesting regarding the purpose of the microglia. I honestly had not known anything about the resting state of the microglia and to find out that they do not actually rest rather are constantly moving. Furthermore, I was intrigued by the fact that the microglia are actually affected by external stimulus regarding the light and dark conditions.
ReplyDeleteIm glad to see that with my presentation i could bring forward something that had previously not been hard of by the class. I think that TMS treatment is extremely intriguing and should really be invested into as a feasible treatment. As Jaclyn stated, the number of patients that actually come out of TMS faring better than going into it is evidence enough to see why TMS is FDA approved. Looking back, if i was to change anything in my presentation, i would speak more about how the neurotransmitters are stimulating and what really goes on in the prefrontal cortex, so i could actually have an answer rather than telling the class that we were going to learn about it. But I value the criticism, in whatever form it may come in.
ReplyDeleteComment on Bryana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteBryana's presentation was incredibly intriguing, as the fact that the tiny microglia actually possessed an actual function other than protecting the neurons blew my mind. Also, the fact that it responded to the brightness or darkness of its surrounding environment is quite interesting to the extent that what if the microglia evolutionarily adapted to our sleep patterns (i.e. darkness) to thus carry out specific functions? It was an eye opening presentation indefinitely, and I learned so much new and more importantly recent information about the microglia.
Commenting on Ruth's presentation:
ReplyDeleteIt was a great presentation. At first I was a little confused, and couldn't put the pieces together, but when we go to the slide where it looks like synaptic cleft (exocytosis) I understood more what was going on with the "death protein." It was also a good review and a great connection to what we have been learning, such as the immune system. Knowing that our body is just ready to attack any foreign substance that scan harm our body. And that cytotoxic cells kill the cell; which was a great review, and I'm glad we washed the video.
Also it was a great news to know that the benefits of Perforin and a cure for cancer.
Overall the presentation was really good, and I really liked the information given.
Yeah, sorry guys!!! I honestly think that if the font was visible i would of been able to explain it better, i sort of blanked out for a second, i knew what i wanted to say, but it was a little confusing for myself. (i seriously saw this coming, on the active board the colors ALWAYS change)Anyway, i'm glad the presentation was of interest to you guys, i know i thought it was mind-bottling. There are so many things out there in our body that we're yet to understand, and Perforin was just something that researchers merely "uncovered". I think that as time passes technology becomes more and more rewarding to studies, i Really hope that further investigation of this topic leads humanity to a cure for cancer, diabetes and malaria. I'm glad i could reveal to you guys a bit more of our immune system.
ReplyDeleteComment on Ruth’s Presentation
ReplyDeleteRuth’s presentation on the “death protein” was a good review over the immune system’s response to pathogens. Cytotoxic T-Cells bind to antigens produced on the cell wall of a macrophage that has enveloped a pathogen. The Cytotoxic T-Cells then release perforin, which creates a passage for the “death protein” to enter and destroy the macrophage. The YouTube video, although simple, was very informative and easily understandable. Overall, the presentation was simple yet informative.
Bryana's presentation was quite interesting. Its crazy how our bodys adapt to new things and have there time when they function best. Thinking on how the microglia works best at night i wonder if people who do not sleep have an unbalanced work of the microglia?
ReplyDeleteComment on Ruth Oviedo’s presentation:
ReplyDeleteRuth’s presentation on Perforin, also known as the “Death Protein” was very interesting, although a little confusing. What I understood is that Perforin is a protein that gets into cells. Once inside the cell, Perforin releases toxic enzymes into the cell, which results in the destruction of the cell. What scientists want to do is make a drug that has high dosages of Perforin to try to cure cancer and malaria. However, there are side-effects in taking the drug, for example you could get a disease that makes you no longer able to produce Cytotoxic T-Cells.
Comment on Bryana's presentation:
ReplyDeleteI found Bryana's presentation on the function of microglia fascinating. Previously, I only thought they served to protect the brain, and its interesting to hear how they do so much more. The fact that microglia activity increases during night is also really mind-boggling, I wonder what this has on people with irregular/ disprupted sleep cycles. This presentation further highlights how little we really know about the brain.
Thanks for the comments. I'm glad I was able to share something that was new information for everyone. Kabrina's thought regarding the evolution of microglia is interesting. I think it is a great possibility that microglia adapted to our sleeping patterns. Maybe generations ago microglia worked at a steady rate in both light and dark situations, but over time they found working at night was more productive, since less activity is taking place overall in the brain. That would be something very interesting to learn more about. Also, Iman and Maria both mentioned the possibility of different microglia function in a person with lack of sleep; this is a great point to bring up. I'm sure there are other things that play a role, but the fact that microglia have less time to "work" with less sleep means the brain is less prepared for the next day. Lack of sleep is known to generate poorer brain function so there must be a connection between less microglia activity and poor brain function.
ReplyDeletecommenting on Ruth's presentation:
ReplyDeleteRuth's presentation was very insightful. I learned about Perforin, which is also known as the "Death Protein". Her presentation helped me understand more about the immune system. I always wondered how the Cytotoxic T-cells were able to kill the cells. Her Presentation helped me understand that and gave me information about potential ways to use this protein to fight diseases such as Cancer. Cancer basically is the uncontrolled growth of a cell. This protein would bind to specific receptors on the cell and start killing them. Cells that cant be saved need to be killed. Isolating this protein might allow for cures of several diseases which might one day save many human lives.
Commenting on Bryana's Presentation:
ReplyDeleteAt first when I saw the title of "Humble Glia", I did not understand what that could have possibly meant, but then it clicked. I never knew that microglia responded to the environment rather than just acting when the brain needs it or as an immune response. I learned that through photon microscopy, scientists can now see the activity of the microglia and how they destroy and create synapses. What interested me the most from Bryana's presentation was the mention that microglia were the "architect of synapses". I liked Bryana's presentation a lot.