Should Gene therapy be allowed to prevent cystic fibrosis?
Should Gene therapy be allowed to prevent cystic fibrosis? "Every week on average five babies are born every week with cystic fibrosis, and 3 sufferers die from it, usually caused by the damage to the lungs"1. CF is a life threatening disease that cannot be cured with the current treatments. The treatments include exercise, dietary programs, inhalation of antibiotics; breathing control techniques and daily physiotherapy. The initial cause of cystic fibrosis has been agreed by many sources such as www.cftrust.org.uk to be the single faulty gene that controls the movement of salt in the body resulting in the growth of internal organ's becoming clogged with thick sticky mucus. Problem: Although the methods mentioned above increase life span, they only target specific symptoms, rather than curing the defect itself, on the other hand, gene therapy is undergoing research, in both clinical and laboratory to see if it is safe and effective. "Only 33% of clinical trials have been focussed on 'single gene' diseases, and one of them is the common cystic fibrosis."15 The other 67% is clinical trials of gene therapy in humans have been cancer treatments. So treating gene therapy with cystic fibrosis is something which will have to be taken into consideration, but the technique gene therapy is always going under thorough research. Here are few reasons why gene therapy will not be
Investigation of the effect of different carbohydrate substrates on yeast growth
"Investigation of the effect of different carbohydrate substrates on yeast growth" Yeasts are eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. The cell walls made of Chitin and they can be found virtually everywhere; "on the skin, on some fruits, in the soil and some are airborne" Saccharomyces cerevisiae are the species of yeast to be used in this experiment. They are used in industry due to the secretion of enzymes that they produce which breaks down sugars by two means aerobically or anaerobic. Aerobically (sugar + Oxygen --> Carbon dioxide + Water + 38 ATP energy) and anaerobically (sugar --> Ethanol + Carbon dioxide + 2 ATP) as this experimental investigation is about the growth of yeast, the main equation is the aerobic one due to it provides 38 ATP energy for cell division either by means of mitotic growth (asexual/ budding) which is the more common type of growth or by means of meiosis (sexual reproduction). The energy is necessary for the oxidising the sugar (C6H12O6/ glucose) into pyruvate, glycolysis happens in the cytoplasm. I will experiment three different sugars; glucose a monosaccharide; maltose a disaccharide and sucrose Alternative hypothesis Glucose will have the largest effect on yeast growth. Maltose will have a slight effect on yeast growth. Sucrose will have the least effect on the yeast growth. Null hypothesis (necessary for
Treatment of Kidney Failure
Treatment of Kidney Failure When a patient has a mild to moderate kidney failure where the serum creatinine is less than 400 µmol/L, he does not require renal replacement therapy such as dialysis or renal transplant. This is due to the fact that he still has enough residual renal function to sustain life. However he requires certain medications and dietary restriction to delay damage to the kidney. When his serum creatinine increase to 900 µmol/L, he requires dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis in General Dialysis is a process which allows diffusion of solutes dissolved in blood across a semi- permeable membrane into another solution and vice versa. This means that it removes waste products through this special membrane and bicarbonate can diffuse across to the blood to neutralise acid. In this way the imbalance in the body can be corrected. Peritoneal Dialysis What is Peritoneal Dialysis? Peritoneal dialysis is a form of dialysis that occurs inside the body. Dialysis solution will flow into the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity through a silastic catheter. The peritoneal membrane (petrionuem) acts as a filter. Waste products and excess water pass from the body through the membrane into the dialysis solution. When the filtering process is completed, the waste filled solution is to be drained from the peritoneal cavity into a bag and is then discarded. Fresh
Movement of Nutrients in Plants
Movement of nutrients in plants The structure of chlorophyll: Chlorophyll belongs to a group of organic compounds called carotenoids. The head of the chlorophyll a and b molecules consists of a porphyrin. Haemoglobin and the cytochromes lso contain porphyrin molecules. Porphyrins form complexes with metal ions. In the case of chlorophyll, the metal is magnesium located at the centre of the porphyrin head of the molecule. A long chain alcohol called phytol is attached to the porphyrin head. After the phytol tail is attached to the the porphyrin head, photosynthesis can take place. In order for photosynthesis to occur, there must be sufficient pigment to absorb the necessary light energy. Plants need minerals which they obtain through their roots, in order to make the pigment. Nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous are the three other elemts needed to produce proteins, nucleic acids, ATP amd many other chemicals. All the necessary minerals are taken up into the plant via the roots as ions. Uptake of mineral salts: Plants require a variety of mineral salts as well as carbon dioxide and water; these minerals are absorbed as the appropriate ions from the plants' surroundings. In some cases, the ions may enter the plant against a concentration gradient. The ions are selectively absorbed by active transport, therefore energy is used. Mineral ions are taken up by the root hairs and
Investigating the Effect of Ethanol Concentration on the Rate of Respiration in Yeast.
Investigating the Effect of Ethanol Concentration on the Rate of Respiration in Yeast Respiration is the process by which the energy in food molecules is made available for an organism to do biological work. Respiration produces ATP, which is the form of energy, made by most organisms, and they use it for their survival. Yeast cell, along with all other cells respire, and I am going to investigate the effect on the rate of respiration when I add various concentrations of alcohol to it. Scientific Theory: There are many factors that can affect the rate of respiration in a yeast cell. In my experiment, I am going to develop this with how an alcohol affects the rate at different concentrations. The equation for aerobic respiration is C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy ... Is the standard equation before the alcohol is added. As the alcohol is the factor I am assessing, then the concentrations of the yeast solution, and how much sugar I am adding, need to be determined before I can add the different volumes of alcohol, in this case Ethanol. I am going to do this by carrying out preliminary experiments. Glucose concentration is an important part in the reaction as this helps the reaction to get started. If too much glucose is added, then this has an osmotic effect on the yeast cell, pulling all the water out of them and preventing the from respiring. This
I am going to investigate the ability of Pepsin on Gelatin. I aim to investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of action of Pepsin on Gelatin.
Investigation into the action of Pepsin I am going to investigate the ability of Pepsin on Gelatin. I aim to investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of action of Pepsin on Gelatin. Apparatus List Black and white filmstrip, pepsin solution, water baths, 400 cm³ measuring cylinder, small tubes, 200 cm³ beakers, stopwatch, 0?c -100?c thermometer, scissors, tweezers, syringes. Preliminary Work The student spent time experimenting with different quantities of pepsin and other controlled factors to try to find out which quantities would work the best. It decided that a 2cm by 2cm black and white filmstrip should be used. This is because it fits inside the specimen tube, it stays still in the specimen tube and it easy to see. In the preliminary experiment a 1cm by 1cm filmstrip was used and it was difficult to see. I decided to use 14ml of pepsin in each test tube because it is just enough to completely submerge the filmstrip. A 2% solution of pepsin has been proven to be the most effective in previous experiments. The volume of the pepsin was chosen to be 20ml. Variables * The volume of pepsin that is used * The amount of filmstrip that is used * Temperature of the pepsin * The concentration of the pepsin solution that is used * The apparatus that is used. * The method that is used. * Quality of film * pH of pepsin The variable will be temperature. This
Factors effecting enzyme activity
Biology Coursework Factors effecting enzyme activity Aim: To investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of catalase activity. Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts, which are made in the cells. A catalyst is a chemical substance that speeds up a reaction but does not get used up in the process. Enzymes can be used over and over. There are two types of enzyme reactivity, these are called anabolic and catabolic reactions. An anabolic reaction is where large molecules are built up from smaller molecule. A catabolic reaction is where reactions split large molecules into smaller ones. Enzymes work by a method called the lock and key method: Basically it works by the enzyme meeting the substrate and they both fit together well to make an enzyme-substrate complex. This works well because enzymes have a definite three dimensional shapes which is complementary to the shape of the substrate. In the enzyme-substrate complex, the substrate attaches to an area on the enzymes known as the active site. The enzyme is then free to react again with any available substrate. Catalase can be found, not just in humans but in potatoes, apples and the liver. During my preliminary work, I will be investigating which of these gives off the most oxygen. The one which gives off the most oxygen will be the catalase that I use during my experiments. This way it will give me the best
The use of pectinase in fruit juice production
The use of pectinase in fruit juice production - Pectinase is a mixture of enzymes which is used in the fruit juice industry where they extract, clarify and modify fruit juices. (Cellulose also does this). Pectins are large polysaccharide molecules. They are made of hundreds of chains of galacturonic acid residues. The pectin chain is held together by a bond between carbon 1 of one galacturonic acid and carbon 4 of the next one and so on. The diagram shows where the pectin comes from in a plant. It is gel like and forms in the primary cell walls and in the middle lamella layer which sticks adjacent cells together. The pectin is broken down by enzymes in the pectinase group, which include polygalacturonases, pectin methyl esterase and pectin lyases. All three contribute to the breakdown of pectins from a variety of plant materials. Pectinase enzymes are produced during the ripening of some fruits and are also secreted by plant pathogens such as the fungus: Monilinia fructigena and the bacteria: Erwinia carotovora or the fungi: Aspergillus niger. The pectinase enzymes act in different ways on the pectins, for example they help soften their cell walls (they break down the cell walls). (The products of such enzyme assaults also act as a signal which causes uninfected cells to defend themselves.) The way pectinase enzymes break down the pectin is as follows: pectinase splits
Features of Lungs & Tissues
I am going to compare different tissues with similarities, including what cells are in the tissues and where they are located and what organelles are within the cells, also to state their functions including explaining how each tissue is able to carry out their role. Firstly I will compare (Alveolus of lung/Bronchus of lung), secondly (Stomach/Urinary bladder). Alveolus of lung Bronchus of lung What cells are in the tissues? There are three types of cells within the tissue (Type I, Type II and Macrophages). * Type I (Squamous Alveolar) cells that form the structure of an alveolar wall * Type II (Great Alveolar) cells that secrete pulmonary surfactant to lower the surface tension of water and allow the membrane to separate, thereby increasing the capability to exchange gases. Surfactant is continuously released by exocytosis. It forms an underlying aqueous protein-containing hypophase and an overlying phospholipid film composed primarily of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine. * Macrophages that destroy foreign material, such as bacteria. Where they are located? Type II cell is located in the alveolar epithelium. Macrophage cell is found in the pulmonary alveolus, near the pneumocytes, but separated from the wall and type I cell is located beneath the plasmalemma . Main organelles within the cell? Organelles found within the cells are as follows: Nucleus,
Determination of Vitamin C in food
.2 Determination of Vitamin C in food Vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient in humans. This is because we cannot synthesis the vitamin from glucose in the liver. It is thought that the absence of an enzyme l-gulonolactone oxidase from liver cells1 prevents humans from converting glucose into ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid functions as an anti-oxidant in living organisms protecting the body against the effect of oxidative stress. Ascorbic acid is also important biologically as it is used as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions (no less than 8 reactions have been identified). These include the synthesis of collagen, a deficiency of which leads to the most notable disease of vitamin c loss, scurvy. Ascorbic acid forms the part of many important physiological functions. These include the syntheses of collagen, neurotransmitters, tyrosine carnitine and metabolism of microsome2. But most importantly it is known for its antioxidant activity. When free radicals are present in cells as high levels they are thought to have an effect on cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and chronic inflammatory diseases3. It is thought that ascorbic acid reacts with these free radicals preventing them from causing damage to cells. How to measure the amount of Vitamin C in food One way to measure the amount of vitamin C in our food is to use what is called a redox
