Explain the changes that occur in the uterus during the uterine cycle.

Explain the changes that occur in the uterus during the uterine cycle The uterine cycle is a repeating series of changes in the structure of the endometrium. It is also called the menstrual cycle that begins with the menarche at puberty, around the age of 12. The cycle continues until 45-50 years, when menopause occurs. This cycle is only ever interrupted by certain circumstances such a pregnancy, stress or starvation (Martini and Bartholomew 2000). The uterine cycle is normally between 24-35 days varying between individuals (Tortora and Grabowski 2003). It is divided into 4 stages: Menses, Proliferative phase, Ovulation and the Secretory phase. Menses Menstruation lasts for the first 4-6 days of the cycle. It is a result of wholesale destruction of the superficial layer (functional zone) of the endometrium. This occurs as the corpus luteum disintegrates within the ovaries, resulting in declining levels of ovarian hormones i.e. progesterone and oestrogen (Tortora and Grabowski 2003). The decrease in these hormones stimulates the release of prostaglandins that causes the endometrial arteries to constrict, reducing blood flow. Therefore the cells begin to die of oxygen deprivation, and eventually the weakened arterial walls ruptures and blood pours into the connective tissues of the functional zone. The entire functional zone then begins to slough off (Martini and

  • Word count: 1261
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

What measures of blood pressure would indicate that a person has high or low blood pressure?

Anatomy and Physiology M2 Task 5 ("M2" Task) Select three methods from each of the above routine measurements and describe what would be an indication of something going wrong with the body system concerned - e.g. what measures of blood pressure would indicate that a person has high or low blood pressure? (M2) For my M2 Task I will talk about three routine measurement methods and explain the signs of something that is going wrong within the system. I have chosen to talk about Blood pressure, Pulse rate and oedema for circulation. Blood pressure Blood pressure provides information about your heart and the state of your blood vessels. A cuff around the arm inflates and the measures your blood pressure. The maximum pressure is known as the systolic pressure. This shows the pressure in your artery at the time when your heart is pumping blood and beating. The lowest pressure is known as the diastolic pressure and is measured by heartbeat. Both of these pressures are vital for your health information and a risk of having high blood pressure is shown if either one of the pressure has gone higher. High blood pressure can cause heart and kidney failures, strokes, coronary diseases, and many other problems. Low blood pressure can be caused by severe bleeding, inflammations of organs and dehydration. Pulse rate The number of times your heart beats in a minute is known

  • Word count: 1047
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

The effects of posture on heart rate and blood pressure

The effects of posture on heart rate and blood pressure Abstract The aim of this study was to find out if posture had any effect on heart rate and blood pressure. Participant's had their heart rate and blood pressure recorded in three different positions. The positions were standing, seated, and supine. It was found that there were differences, such as the more vertical the body gets, the higher the blood pressure and heart rate become. The t tests however only found one significant difference, and that was between supine and seated diastolic blood pressure. All the others were rejected. Introduction This study was performed in order to look at the effect posture has on heart rate and blood pressure. Posture can be defined as 'The position of the body as a whole.' It is the position of the body which is said can have an impact on blood pressure and heart rate. This will be examined in this study by measuring heart rate and blood pressure of participant's while they are in a standing, seated, and supine positions. The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, the blood vessels, and circulating blood. The heart may be regarded as the engine of the system, the blood vessels as conducting tubes, and the blood as a means of transporting nutrients and the products of metabolism to and from various organs in the body. (Beashel, Taylor 1996) There are many ways in which the

  • Word count: 1708
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

Factors affecting osmosis in living tissue

Year 10 Investigation Factors affecting osmosis in living tissue Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules, from a high concentration (a dilute solution) to where there are few (a concentrated solution). This occurs over a partially permeable membrane. To investigate what factors affect osmosis in living tissue, I will be varying the concentration of the solutions that I will expose my living tissue to. My solutions will be between 0m - 2m, and I will have five samples. Method . I will begin by pouring an equal quantity of five different concentrations of solution into five different test tubes. I will then heat these test tubes in a water bath, at approximately 40?, (as a higher temperature would kill enzymes, and the tissue). 2. I will cut five cylinders out of my living tissue, with equal mass and similar surface area. I will record their mass, so I can compare the mass of the tissue after the experiment. 3. I will then add one piece of living tissue to each test tube, and start a timer so I can monitor how long the tissue is exposed to the solutions. 4. After 30 minutes, I will drain the liquid from all my test tubes, remove my sample, and place it on a paper towel to absorb excess liquid which may affect its mass. 5. I will then record the new masses of my living tissue samples, and note any observations on its change in flexibility. Equipment Test tubes

  • Word count: 688
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

Micro-Organisms and Microbes - the Causes of Disease.

Relate Living Conditions And Lifestyle To Spread A Disease! MICRO-ORGANISMS AND MICROBES -THE CAUSES OF DISEASE: Micro-organisms are tiny microscopic life forms that can cause disease. When disease is caused by microorganisms that are transmitted among different people it is called an infectious disease. Examples of these micro-organisms include: * BACTERIA * FUNGI * VIRUSES Bacteria: Bacteria are singe-cell micro-organisms that live in the soil, water organic material or the bodies of plants and animal including humans. Fungi: Fungi are microscopic plant-like organisms, an example is yeast. Virus: A virus is an organism that must infect another cell to survive and multiply and may well cause disease in humans. Bacteria and viruses may reproduce rapidly inside the body and may produce poisons(toxins), which make us fell ill. Viruses damage the cells in which they reproduce. A microbe is a broad term describing any small living organism and includes bacteria, virus and fungi and diseases are more likely to occur if large numbers of microbes enter the body as a result of unhygienic conditions or contact with infected people. The body has several methods of defending itself against the entry of microbes: * The skin acts as a barrier * The breathing organs produce a sticky liquid mucus, which covers the lining of these organs and traps microbes. * The blood produces

  • Word count: 333
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

Laboratory heart experiment report.

Laboratory heart experiment report Introduction Background The time spent in the laboratory was dedicated for us to learn two important experiments on the heart and the aspects of the health and safety rules of being in the laboratory environment. The two experiments were; Taking a subjects blood pressure (B.P) reading with a sphygmomanometer and measuring a subjects heart rate (H.R) by using electrocardiograph (ECG). The reason for doing these experiments was to get the whole Sports, Health and Exercise group familiarized and comfortable using the EPIC equipment. The reason is that in the next three years of the course it is essential we are all able to use it confidently as we'll have to repeat these experiments in the future. The heart beats approximately 72 times every minute, and therefore each cardiac cycle lasts approximately 0.8 seconds. The cardiac cycle can be broken up into 2 phases; a period where the heart is relaxed, called diastole and a period of contraction, called systole. During diastole the atria fill with blood. The blood is prevented from entering the ventricles due to the atrioventricular valves being closed. However the rising pressure in the atria forces the tricuspid and bicuspid valves open, so that the ventricles begin to fill with blood. During this process, the semi-lunar valves that prevent backflow of the blood into the heart from the aorta

  • Word count: 1216
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

Types of tissue specimens I. Cytological - smear, scrape, brushing, washing or fine needle aspirate II. Biopsy (Bx

Anatomical Pathology - Lecture 1 * Pathology: a study of disease * Types of tissue specimens I. Cytological - smear, scrape, brushing, washing or fine needle aspirate II. Biopsy (Bx) - piece of tissue, trephine, punch specimen III. Whole organ - amputation or mastectomy, appendectomy IV. Post mortem samples, routine or forensic * Tissue preparation modes i. Routine paraffin blocks ii. Urgent surgical cases - frozen sections iii. Enzyme or lipid studies iv. Immunohitochemistry (antibody) v. Special tissue studies (kidney, bone, brain) vi. Electron microscopy vii. Cytology viii. In situ hybridization (DNA or RNA) * Chemical tissue preservation is used to i. Prevents tissue breakdown: autolysis, putrefaction ii. Increases firmness for handling iii. Retains tissue structure iv. Increase permeability for future chemical processing Chemical tissue preservation works: i. Denatures protein, breaking down autolytic enzymes, unfolding molecules ii. Disrupting internal bonds (H+ & 2S-) increasing permeability & leaving molecules to make new links with fixatives and dyes iii. Precipitating proteins and preventing loss during subsequent chemical processing Important factors of chemical tissue preservation i. pH (hydrogen ion concentration) ii. temperature iii. penetration iv. osmolality (critical for electron microscopy) v. concentraton vi. duration * Types

  • Word count: 669
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

Electrocardiography and Blood Pressure measurement.

Electrocardiography and Blood Pressure measurement Introduction Background Blood pressure (BP) is the force exerted on the cell walls of the blood vessels by the blood they contain. Blood pressure is measured with a sphygmomanometer, in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) this is a manual way of measuring BP, there is also a mechanical way. The mechanical tool for measuring blood pressure is called an automated blood pressure monitor; this automatically measures the subjects BP and heart rate at a touch of a button. The advantage of using the automated BP monitors is that it removes human error. Pressure is created by a portion of the body's blood being stored in the distensible aorta, which occurs due to the peripheral vessels not allowing blood to flow into the atrial system as fast as it's ejected from the heart. The heart beats approximately 72 times every minute, therefore each cycle lasts approximately 0.8 seconds. The cardiac cycle can be broken up into 2 phases; Systolic, which is the maximum pressure in the arteries during peak ventricular ejection and, Diastolic, which is the minimum pressure in the arteries immediately prior to ventricular ejection. Using systolic and diastolic pressure is how your blood pressure is calculated. Electrocardiography is the study of the electrical activity of the heart. This is done using an electrocardiograph (ECG). This records

  • Word count: 1684
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

Rosiglitazone maleate: combating insulin resistance.

Rosiglitazone maleate: combating insulin resistance Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a growing problem across the world. By the year 2010 it is estimated that over 221 million people will be afflicted with the disease1. Type 1 diabetes is the result of absolute insulin deficiency and is treated through the addition of exogenous insulin. Type 2 diabetes, non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM), is characterized by a relative insulin deficiency and increased insulin resistance; it accounts for 90% of all cases of diabetes. Insulin resistance is the inability of cells to use insulin effectively which results in hyperglycemia even in the presence of adequate amounts of insulin. Insulin resistance contributes not only to diabetes, but to a plethora of other metabolic abnormalities including dyslipidemia, hypertension, and vasculopathy which are collectively termed the insulin resistance or cardiovascular dysmetabolic syndrome.2 Rosiglitazone, also known as Avandia, is effective only in the presence of insulin; its antihyperglycemic effect is the result of lowered insulin resistance in cells. Its development as a drug is described in this paper. Bioassay used to discover lead compound When GlaxoSmithKline started targeting insulin resistance in 1984 virtually nothing was known of the molecular mechanisms of insulin action, let alone what defects contribute to insulin

  • Word count: 3277
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay

"What is known of the biological factors that underly the relationship between psychological stress and disease?"

Compulsory Coursework Essay Title Biological Psychology PS1060B Year 1 - Term 1 Joanne Watson Word Count: 1,516 "What is known of the biological factors that underly the relationship between psychological stress and disease?" It is ambiguous, and a matter open for much debate, as to whether disease is caused by stress or stress is an effect of disease. However it is clear from various research that there is a substantial link between the two and as our knowledge and understanding of the brain and it's various functions increases the answers about the causes and possible cures for stress may become more apparent still. Stress is a state of psychological tension caused by certain pressures or forces that are either physical or psychological in nature. For example prolonged exposure to the cold would cause physical stress to the body. Disease occurs when the body's immune system cannot produce enough antibodies to sufficiently combat an infection. The immune system is a collection of billions of cells, which travel through the bloodstream moving in and out of tissues and organs. They defend the body against foreign agents such as viruses, bacteria and cancerous cells. The stress response is the body's way of dealing with any form of stress by suppressing certain metabolic functions thus enabling other functions that deal better with stress to take over. A good example of

  • Word count: 1670
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Medicine and Dentistry
Access this essay