Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular Dystrophy Muscular dystrophy is characterized by the progressive weakening of skeletal muscles. Patients with this genetic disorder will go through three stages. Firstly, the increase of muscle weakness, secondly, the reduction in muscle mass and thirdly the complete loss of muscle function. In the 3rd stage the patient will be confined to a wheelchair. Four forms of the disease are recognized and based on > pattern of inheritance > age when symptoms are first noted > distribution of the muscles earliest involved In the Duchenne form of the disease, symptoms are usually prominent from about 2 to 6 years of age. The muscles first affected are those of the pelvis and trunk, resulting in spinal deformity and a waddling way of walking. By the late teens, the wasting of almost all muscle groups may be advanced. Calf muscles often enlarge. Survival is rare beyond the late twenties and death may result from respiratory weakness or from involvement of the heart muscle. Because inheritance of this form is by an X-linked recessive mechanism (females are carriers), virtually all sufferers are boys. The facio-scapulo-humeral form of the disease affects both sexes equally and results in weakness and wasting of the shoulders, upper arms and facial muscles. It is usually distinguished around the commencement of puberty. The majority of patients remain able to walk until an
The Bio Psychological Perspective.
The Bio Psychological Perspective. Psychologists who take a bio psychological approach believe that all our behaviour is determined by our biology. They are interested in how genetic transmission, the hormonal system and the structure of the brain are related to and affect the way we behave. One example of a behaviour, which can be explained by our biology, is Schizophrenia. Some researchers propose that the best explanation for schizophrenia is genetic transmission, due to the condition's tendency to run in families. One method of studying this theory is the study of twins, identical and non-identical. In a study carried out by Gottesman and Shields (1972, cited in Gross & Mcilveen 1996) a concordance rate of 42% for identical twins to develop schizophrenia was found in comparison to a concordance rate of only 9% for non-identical twins. The concordance rate has been consistently higher for identical twins to develop schizophrenia in several other studies. Evidence also suggests that the concordance rate is equally high for identical twins that have been separated at birth, as it is for identical twins that have been raised in the same environment. Another explanation for the development of schizophrenia could be over-activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. The neurotransmitter implicated in an overwhelming amount of research is dopamine. When post-mortems have
Coeliac Disease (Coeliac sprue or gluten allergy)
Coeliac Disease (Coeliac sprue or gluten allergy) What is coeliac disease? Coeliac disease is a relatively common condition that affects 1 in 1500 of the UK population. It is caused by intolerance to gluten - a substance found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Oats are not thought to cause problems. Coeliac disease affects the lining of the small intestine, making it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats). It is a chronic condition seen in all age groups. The symptoms usually disappear when a strict gluten-free diet is adopted. What causes coeliac disease? The disease is partly hereditary, but can also be brought on by the consumption of cereals containing gluten People are at increased risk of developing coeliac disease if they start eating porridge and bread at an early age. The younger the child, the higher the risk. Coeliac disease is very common in certain countries (Sweden, SW of Ireland) What are the symptoms of coeliac disease? In patients with coeliac disease, normal digestion is prevented from taking place by inflammation and other changes in the mucous membrane of the small intestine. This has harmful effects on the patient's general health because fewer nutrients are absorbed. This can result in: Retarded physical growth in children Vitamin/mineral deficiency (especially iron and
The Bio Psychological Perspective
THE BIO PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE The bio psychological approach believes that all behaviour can be explained by our biology. Biology affects many things including our genetics which in turn determine IQ, personality, and mate selection. Also affected are hormones which determine aggression, mood, emotions and PMT. Brain structure and damage to areas of the brain could result in disruption of sleep, memory, eating and drinking. Our behaviour is also affected by chemicals in our brain (neurotransmitters) such as serotonin or dopamine which relates to schizophrenia, depression and eating disorders. An example of a behaviour which is controlled by our biology is stress. The Hypothalamus in the brain monitors the environment. If it perceives a threat the adrenal glands are signalled and adrenalin is released. The heart rate is increased and respiration becomes more intense. The body also responds with a drop in blood pressure and muscle tension, the pupils also dilate. The pituitary gland releases the hormone ACTH and corticosteroids. This causes the liver to release sugar and the digestive and immune system to become suspended. Under stress the pituitary gland reduces the production of antibodies therefore the body cannot fight off infection. This results in minor illness and increased vulnerability. Large amounts of evidence suggest that stress may be involved
What were the factors which determined the development of vaccines for the treatment of disease?
What were the factors which determined the development of vaccines for the treatment of disease? The first significant step in the fight against infectious disease was made in 1796 with discovery of a vaccine to prevent smallpox by Edward Jenner. Jenner had become aware of the fact that milkmaids who had suffered from a mild illness, cowpox, were unlikely to catch the much more serious smallpox disease. Jenner experimented on a child, putting cowpox into the bloodstream. Later, the child was inoculated with smallpox, but did not catch the disease. Jenner's method proved much safer than the technique of inoculation, which had been brought to Britain from Turkey by Lady Montague. Despite opposition from the medical establishment, many of whom made a good income from inoculation, the government backed Jenner's claims, and by 1853, vaccination had become compulsory for infants. Louis Pasteur was a French chemist who in 1867 was able to demonstrate for the first time that germs caused disease. Pasteur went on to develop vaccines for chicken cholera, anthrax and rabies. the new science of bacteriology was advanced even more by a German scientist, called Robert Koch. Using microscopes and new methods of staining germs, he was able to identify specific germs that were responsible for the cause of disease. In 1882-3, he identified the microbes responsible for tuberculosis (TB) and
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer's Disease Josh Jones Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of the loss of mental function known as dementia (a group of symptoms which interfere with a persons normal daily activities and social relationships). This type of dementia proceeds in stages. Slowly destroying memory, reason, judgement, talking and eventually the ability to carry out simple tasks. The ancient Greeks first recognized Alzheimer's but it had no name then Shakespeare wrote about old age as "Second childishness and mere oblivion". In the early 20th century when Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, described the signs of the disease in the brain. He had a patient in her fifties who suffered from what seemed to be a mental illness. When she died in 1906 autopsy revealed dense deposits called neurotic plaques outside and around nerve cells in her brain inside the cells were twisted strands of fibre called neurofibrillary tangles . Today a definite diagnosis of Alzheimer's is not possible until an autopsy has been carried out. These plaques and tangles remained unknown substances until the 1980s when scientists who study the brain discovered proteins that make patients often live for years with this condition, dying eventually from other diseases. The duration of Alzheimer's disease from the time of diagnosis to death can be twenty years or more. Although the average range is from 4
The Plague Maths Project
The Plague Maths Project I have been asked to investigate and find a formula, which shows patterns of disease. This disease is spreading every day inside this room. The person who is carrying the disease has a contagious disease which means it will spread throughout this room. There are three cases of this disease, which I have been asked to investigate. The disease can be passed only in straight lines (up, down. left, right). The disease spreads one square away from the already infected one. These diagrams below show how the disease is spreading. The 1st case The first case I have been asked to see is where one person is standing in the centre of the room. This person is infected. On day one this person is the only one infected but as the days go on it will spread in all directions. The 2nd case The second case I am investigating is when another person is standing up against one of the walls in the room. This means that the disease will spread differently then the 1st case. It also means that the disease can spread in three directions to start with. The 3rd case The 3rd case is where the contagious person is in the corner and the disease spreads out into the room. This time the disease can only spread in two ways to start with. Diagrams and Results: I have recorded the spreading plague for 6 days. Then I will make a prediction for day 7. These diagrams show the