Biologizing - Biological News n' Views

  In the 1960s a study was conducted where music was played for patients during an ongoing operation, and it was found that they experienced less pain. Certain patients didn’t even require anesthesia during the procedures due to the music that was being played. After this finding, mice were tested on to test the theory of music dulling down pain. This could be an important breakthrough in finding a way for scientists to treat pain in humans. Since the study came out, researchers tested the dulling of pain effect by playing music varying from Mozart to Michael Bolton. This resulted in less pain and a decrease in aches in patients who have fibromyalgia when they listened to their favorite music.               Researchers tried to study the mechanism of why music numbs pain. To do this they started to use mice in their studies. Everyday, researchers played 20 minutes of symphonic music to mice, and the mice’s paws were i...

The most basic daily rhythm that we live by is the cycle in which our bodies sleep and wake, which is directly related to the cycle of the sun. This circadian rhythm is governed by the body’s internal biological clock. However, this internal clock is mainly related to sleep and wakefulness. Studies show that alterations in the circadian rhythm, even just slightly, also affect our hunger, mental alertness, mood, stress, heart function, and immunity.     It has been observed that traffic accidents and workplace incidents are more frequent when a single hour of sleep is lost. Heart patients are at greater risk for heart attacks in the week following the shift in Daylight Savings. Realizing this correlation has allowed researchers to uncover more important connections between disrupted clocks and chronic health issues.   Furthermore, it turns out that the same genes and biological factors that govern the body’s internal clock are also directly involved in how other body syste...

  As the incidence rates for many diseases such as cancer have augmented over the years, the need for research on alternative treatments has become increasingly dire. Current treatments like chemotherapy are invasive and can have severe adverse effects on the patient during therapy and even in the long term. Because of this, new and innovative treatments are being searched for far and wide by patients, biomedical engineers, and researchers. However, what if the answer they seek lies in the practices of the past? In Asia and surrounding regions, mushrooms have been used to treat infections and other diseases for centuries. For over three decades, more than 100 different types of mushrooms have been approved to be used to treat cancer alongside other treatments.  Trametes versicolor,  more commonly known as turkey tail, is one of the most popular medicinal mushrooms. This fungal species can typically be found growing on deciduous and conifer trees across North America, Euro...

  Sleep deprivation is a widespread problem, especially in the United States. It is well known that a lack of sleep drastically affects mental performance, which is specifically a major problem for students. We always hear that it is necessary to get at least 6-7 hours every night to be well rested and be able to function at peak performance. A lot of times, people are unable to get a sufficient amount of sleep due to a busy schedule, or an inability to effectively plan out their ways well, but how much does this really affect our mental function?   The amount of sleep that people get as a society has a major effect on the quality of life and the interactions that we have with one another. This article describes the true effect that sleep deprivation has on mental functionality, and performs 3 different experiments to test this theory. The first experiment involved 23 young adults who got sufficient sleep for the first night, and stayed awake for the second. After each night, ...

Recently I have been thoroughly enjoying and appreciating all the Massachusetts fall foliage, but it  made me think . Why do the leaves on some trees change color? It comes down to three different variables. These include the pigment in leaves, length of night, and weather.  There are three main color pigments in leaves. The green color comes from chlorophyll (which is necessary for photosynthesis), the yellow/orange/brown color comes from carotenoids, and the red color comes from anthocyanin. Throughout the growing season and the summer, chlorophyll is the main pigment in the leaves, but some carotenoids are present as well. When autumn rolls around, the production of chlorophyll slows down because of the decreased light and level of photosynthesis. At this point anthocyanin and carotenoids in the leaf begin to come out and therefore change color. Each species of deciduous tree has  various levels  of pigment which causes some trees to turn different colors than oth...

        On September 27, 2022, the state of Florida experienced a destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane, the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since 1935. Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage through the Caribbean and the southeast United States, leaving hundreds killed and more than 6,000 homes destroyed. With the surge of high winds and ocean waters, homes, businesses, public infrastructure, crops, and wildlife are all compromised.    Many now face the after effects of the damage. Hurricanes have shown to cause or worsen multiple diseases, with the most adverse health impacts peaking around six months after the hurricane struck. According to state health data, Florida is now experiencing a surge of rare “flesh-eating” bacterial infections.  Vibrio vulnificus  is a salt-loving bacteria found in the warm, brackish water, such as in estuaries, salt marshes, and where rivers meet the ocean. With coastal flooding taking over streets and tow...

 Stem cell regulation to prevent hair loss Have you ever noticed dozens of strands of hair falling out when you take a shower? Or notice that your hair has been thinner lately? Hair loss and density are based on many factors such as genetics and environment, and it can be hard to control or find a solution to it. Especially when it comes to genetics, hair loss is inevitable and something that most have come to terms with. Researchers have discovered that hair loss could possibly be prevented with hair follicle stem cells. Research has shown that hair follicle stem cells promote hair growth and by switching their metabolic states, their lives can be prolonged. A protein called Rictor was found to play an important role in this process when studying mice. On average, we shed 500 million cells a day and quantity being consisting of hairs. Specialized stem cells replace the dead cellsl in order to promote tissue growth and an impaired activity of these stem cells causes tissues to age....

  In the 1960s a study was conducted where music was played for patients during an ongoing operation, and it was found that they experienced less pain. Certain patients didn’t even require anesthesia during the procedures due to the music that was being played. After this finding, mice were tested on to test the theory of music dulling down pain. This could be an important breakthrough in finding a way for scientists to treat pain in humans. Since the study came out, researchers tested the dulling of pain effect by playing music varying from Mozart to Michael Bolton. This resulted in less pain and a decrease in aches in patients who have fibromyalgia when they listened to their favorite music.               Researchers tried to study the mechanism of why music numbs pain. To do this they started to use mice in their studies. Every day, researchers played 20 minutes of symphonic music to mice, and the mice’s paws were ...

  Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that works by stopping or slowing down the growth of cancer cells. However, a patient may respond positively to the treatment for only a certain period of time before it is no longer effective and the tumor begins to grow again. This is known as chemotherapy resistance. Anti-cancer drugs work by creating blocks on the DNA of cancer cells as they replicate. In DNA replication, the double helix unwinds into two strands so that each strand can be copied. The area where the unwinding and copying occurs is called the replication fork. Chemotherapy drugs interfere with the replication fork to prevent replication, but cancer cells have a way to prevent this.   Researchers at Cornell University have discovered a novel pathway that explains how chemotherapy resistance occurs. A kinase called DNA-PKcs was found to act as a sensor when a replication fork was stressed due to blocks, and it promotes the slowing of the fork and chemoresistance. D...

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, which slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or later. Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but bilingualism can postpone the onset of symptoms. Today, more than 50% of the world’s population is already bilingual, not only for practicality, but also for improving the quality of life in old age. There were six studies conducted to find the relationship between bilingualism and Alzheimer’s disease. All six studies reached identical conclusions, verifying that the two are closely related. In Brian Gold’s studies (2013), he conducted an experiment among the older generation consisting of bilingual and monolingual and how effective they can carry out attention-switching tasks. His studies concluded that those who had been bilingual since childhood continue to perform executive functions better than monolinguals as they age. Additionally, MRI scans concluded that the brains of mo...

 Honey is one of the oldest at-home remedies of our time. It has been used for thousands of years and even dates back to ancient Egyptians for medicinal purposes to treat infected burns and wounds, especially those that are chronic and are more susceptible to bacterial infection which can be difficult to treat. Hence, with its anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, honey may be an effective alternate treatment for promoting improved healing. Natural honey is composed of various antimicrobial properties including phenolic acid, low pH, high viscosity, hydrogen peroxide, and especially methylglyoxal which is a crucial component for the wound healing process. Methylglyoxal in honey (referred to as MGO for honey grade) is heavily dependent on geographic location and flower species, typically found in Leptospermum scoparium predominantly grown in New Zealand - usually referred to as manuka honey. These concentrations of MGO do not yield lesser or improved effic...

What are the Impacts of Caffeine on our Health?   Caffeine is a staple in many people’s diets and routines every morning. Caffeine is a bioactive compound and an alkaloid that has stimulatory effects on one’s central nervous system. As more and more caffeine is confused, it is important to understand the possible health risks and benefits that coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages provide for us.    As debate still persists about the benefits and negative effects of caffeine intake, Epidemiological data revealed that there are some health benefit patterns that can be observed, including supporting liver function, reduced risks of some neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. There is also a controversial study and debate that is ongoing about the effects on cardiovascular health, having adverse effects on cholesterol, and blood pressure.    There can be negative side effects if one consume...

 Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating illness that takes our loved ones from us prematurely. They begin to forget things and eventually can no longer take care of themselves and some that suffer from this disease need around the clock care. My grandpa passed away due to Alzheimer’s disease in 2008, leaving my grandma without her husband for 10 years before her own passing. The pain this problem causes for families is unimaginable, as you watch someone you know so well begin to forget who you are completely. Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, meaning the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s can be very upsetting for those suffering from it, as they lose the independence they have had for their entire lives. Sometimes, children end up caring for their parents as they did for them while they grew up. The first step to curing this horrible disease is finding out what causes it. Scientists have been unsure for...

 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an uncommon autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the brain and the spinal cord. A new development in multiple sclerosis links the disease with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This discovery can lead to possible prevention of the disease. The Epstein-Barr virus is a common virus from the herpesvirus family (cold sores, genital herpes, and chicken pox also belong to this family). It is estimated to infect around 90% of the population, and it has links with other diseases such as mononucleosis (mono). EBV can inject itself into epithelial cells in the throat and spread to others through saliva, which is a known characteristic of mono. Researchers believe that the viral protein EBNA1 and the central nervous protein GlialCAM are both recognized by antibodies. The GlialCAM supports the nervous system and helps form the myelin sheath. This is a possible theory of why these antibodies might attack myelin in the nervous system, one of the primary f...

 My sister is 29 years old and has lived with an epileptic disorder her entire life. Through these almost 30 years, she has had a variety of seizure medications alongside doctor visits to make sure that she has the perfect cocktail of treatment. When I was little, she would have a seizure simply from the pop of a balloon. A decade later, she was thrilled to ride the rock and roller coaster with me. As a loved one, I want to be informed as to how her doctors choose the perfect blend to help her chronic seizures. Tackling the Unmet Therapeutic Needs in Nonsurgical Treatments for Epilepsy (Steriade and French 2022) has given me a new insight to this process. This paper argues that there are currently not enough anti-seizure medications (ASM) available. Although there are many treatments that lower the incidence and intensity of seizure events, these treatments tend to be geared toward generalized seizures. Epilepsy is common among many disorders and has a wide range of characteristics...

Donating plasma is a great way to help those in need and to make a little bit of money doing so! People every day are in dire need of plasma, and there are simply just not enough people donating to be able to continuously have enough to support all the people who need it. Plasma donations can be used in trauma centers, in people suffering from cancer, burn victims and many more. Our plasma in our bodies oversees many things and by transferring healthy plasma from one person to a sick person it can really benefit their bodies and transform how they are feeling. Plasma distributes water to where our bodies need it, delivers hormones and other nutrients all throughout our bodies and maintains blood pressure and circulation.  I have recently begun to research donating plasma and the benefits of donating plasma for our bodies. I myself have donated plasma in the past to see what it was all about. The process was a little different than I thought it would have been. I went through the co...

 Lobster is an extremely popular seafood dish in America and is enjoyed by millions. However, the organization known as Seafood Watch at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California recently made an announcement stating that lobster is no longer a sustainable seafood dish, and should be avoided. This statement comes from growing concerns that the ropes used for lobster fishing are endangering the population of North Atlantic right whales. Lobster fishing primarily takes place off the coast of Maine and Canada, which is also the primary habitat for the North Atlantic right whales. Federal authorities state that the species faces a quickly growing risk of extinction, as their population numbers have fallen into the hundreds. The Seafood Watch organization at the Monterey Bay Aquarium hopes to raise awareness for the North Atlanic right whales endangerment by making this announcement. Raised awareness of this issue puts pressure on both lawmakers and fisheries to enact more protections for...

  Cardiovascular disease is the most prominent cause of death in the U.S, with approximately 19 million casualties per year. The most common heart disease, coronary heart disease, includes when plaque begins to build up inside of the blood vessels that supply and bring blood to the heart. When these vessels get blocked and the heart fails to receive the blood and oxygen it needs, that is when a heart attack strikes. When these cells are damaged in this way, they start to die which ultimately causes permanent damage to the heart. So, for researchers looking into solving the issue of repairing damaged heart cells is where the oxytocin comes into play. Researchers are providing evidence that oxytocin may help “stimulate the regeneration of cardiomyocytes”. This research could lead to groundbreaking results for people suffering from heart disease. Hormone oxytocin, which is produced in the hypothalamus of the brain, is known as being the “love hormone”. It is released when we do pleasu...

 Everyone knows of those big historical events in which each person knows exactly where they were and what they were doing when they got the news. The release of the first iPhone, the announcement of the first African American president, and the national legalization of same-sex marriage are just to name a few. Endless monumental events help shape our society and give us a sense of community. Each is revolutionary in its own ways and vary per person, but some happen to make a more direct impact on all of us. Unfortunately, repeated time and time again these events are typically negative due to a trauma stress response. Coronavirus beginning 2020 is and will always be a unifying factor for every person who can recall the events. Its unique, sudden, and unpredictable nature makes it prominent in our government, healthcare, and local communities. What I’ve come to the realization of is that Coronavirus also had a drastic effect on our life order and even our personalities. In an artic...

 Cold and flu season is here once again. Although the vaccine has reduced the frequency and severity of Covid, it's still around, and Covid can look exactly like the cold or flu. If you experience symptoms, you should get tested. Vaccinated people may not test positive for several days after experiencing symptoms, and some may never test positive. You should get vaccinated and boosted if you can. The vaccine significantly reduces your risk of falling ill and dramatically reduces the severity if you become sick. The vaccine is completely safe, so you should get it as soon as possible if you haven’t already. You can still test positive if you have had the vaccine; however, you may not test positive even if you are confident you have Covid. This is because the viral load is low enough in your throat and nose that the test will not detect Covid even though you have it. If the virus spreads outside your respiratory system, you will still fall sick but never test positive. If you...

 Most of us decide to eat at whatever time is convenient for us. The typical time people eat dinner is around 6pm, but for some, it can be as late as 9 or 10pm. With so many of us having such busy schedules it can be hard to eat earlier, so we just squeeze our meals into whatever free time we have. Most people would think that it doesn’t matter how late we eat; it’s healthy as long as we eat a sufficient amount of food every day. However, the time we eat can have potential effects on our health. A recent study has shown how our bodies are affected by eating late versus early. In the study, 16 patients with a body mass index (BMI) of overweight or obese underwent two different protocols where they ate the same meals but at different times, one at a strict early schedule and the other 4 hours later in the day. Laboratory tests were then collected for each participant. The results showed that eating later in the day had a major impact on the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are hung...

 Antibiotics have become more frequently used in the more recent years as they are used to combat viruses and infections. Unfortunately, the increase in the use of antibiotics also means an increase in antibiotic pollution due to the waste of human and veterinary medicine. This pollution enters the environment through landfills, leaking storage containers, agricultural waste, and effluents of wastewater treatment plants/ hospitals/ processing plants. All this waste can pose a big problem because there is a highly likely possibility that it can encourage the spread of antibiotic resistance and facilitate its development of it as well. This, however, is not easily related as the antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic compounds can be co-released into the environment. This makes it extremely hard to distinguish if an increase in resistance is due to antibiotic pollution in the environment or if it emerged within the treated host. In the article, the main point was to determine if ...

As the stigma surrounding mental health lessens, there is more being done now to understand and recognize these illnesses than ever before. Most people that have a form of depression cannot recognize the symptoms right away, or even deny the diagnosis until their feelings of loneliness overwhelm them. The direct correlation between mental health and hygiene has been greatly overlooked, many people are labeled as “lazy” or “dirty” when in reality the disease is debilitating. Adolescents may not have the vocabulary to describe how distressed they are, many don’t even know what depression is yet. If the signs and symptoms of depression are acknowledged early on, there is a greater chance of getting effective treatment.  Depression does not discriminate based on gender or age, despite people associating it with something only teen girls experience. In reality, about 10-20% of adolescents are impacted by mental health disorders worldwide, a majority of them being undiagnosed and therefo...

 Our world of technology is constantly advancing. Every year people rush to Apple stores across the world in order to get their hands on the newest iPhone with the latest software and the fastest speeds. But what people are not noticing as they throw their money at these new devices that make our lives easier is the health effects that may come along with them. 5G is the newest advancement that is currently being advertised heavily by major data companies like Verizon, and T-mobile. Our phones are emitting radio frequencies that scientific professionals are now studying in order to learn more about the effect that these frequencies could have on our bodies. Most people have heard about 5G and there have been many people questioning the effects that this may have on a person's body. Commercial companies are advertising their new technologies, and constantly racing to have better technologies than their competitors. As new products come out rapidly, it seems as though people cannot k...

              Mosquitoes are constantly craving blood. They have a very sensitive sense of smell that helps them track human odor. Preventive repellents are starting to fail as the ability of the mosquitoes to track human odor is able to work around the repellents. The nerve cells in mosquitoes are different from those of other animals. In animals, one nerve cell detects one odor. However, in mosquitoes, the failure of a nerve cell would mean it would not be able to pick up on one human odor but rather still be able to detect other odors. Researchers are working to find a way to stop mosquitoes from picking up on human scents since preventative repellents are starting to backfire. Possible solutions to repellents were that instead of creating a repellent to human scent, a repellent made with a scent that mosquitoes despise might cause it to flee away. Mosquitoes spread viruses such as dengue and Zika, which is why it is cr...