SCIENCEPAL

Importance of plants in human life?

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Importance of plants in human life?

In every way humans are dependent on plants. For food, medicines, air purification, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle and etc. But in addition to these now this has a much higher importance. It is in global warming. When the humans started burning fossil fuels carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere started increasing.Importance of plants in human life Carbon dioxide is a green house gas and it keeps infrared rays within the earth atmosphere and help increasing the temperature. In the upcoming years this will become more and more important in human life.

Another importance in human life is for medicines. As you all know quinine, a very potent antimalarial drug discovered from the plant cinchona. (Actually it was first discovered by an African tribe) Not humans are facing more and more challenges from emerging and re-emerging diseases. For an example HIV the most dangerous and devastating disease in the word I may say up to now does not have an effective cure. But plants may have a good answer for with. People in the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka have used plant extracts as very effective remedies for many conditions.

CPK blood test

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:13:00 +0000

CPK blood test
CPK blood test is very widely used for the detection of myocardial infarctions. But despite the popularity of CPK blood test for the detection of myocardial infarction it can be very effectively used to investigate and diagnose many other conditions associated with skeletal muscles. CPK-MM isoform of the CPK enzyme is predominantly found in skeletal muscle. These diseases of the skeletal muscles range from simple traumatic muscle damage to more advance muscle dystrophies. More common conditions are myositis, post electromyography, recent surgery, and strenuous exercise.
When we talk about the isoform CPK-MB it is predominantely found in cardiac myosites. When there is damage to cardiac muscle cell this isoform of CPK enzyme is released. This is another very common situation in which CPK blood test is performed. When someone is admitted to the hospital with a chest pain a CPK blood test may be performed to diagnose whether he is having a heart attack.

Sugar consumption and diabetes

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Sugar consumption and diabetes
Sugar consumption has been linked to chronic diseases like diabetes and atherosclerosis for a long time. High sugar consumption is probably the most important risk factor of diabetes. Changing life styles and inclusion of items like soda to the daily diet may worsen the condition. Actually specifically talking about diabetes sugar consumption affects it in many ways. For an example high sugar intake may cause obesity. Recent researches have shown adipose tissue in the body area secrete a hormone which is responsible for insulin resistance. And the researches with the diabetics have shown high circulating levels of this hormone.
Unlike complex carbohydrates sugar is easily digested and absorbed. This causes a rapid absorption of glucose and fructose in the blood. As you already know rapid rise in blood glucose predispose the patient to diabetes. Not only that, fructose can entered the cells without controlled by insulin. Due to this high fructose entry to the cells changes the metabolic pathways within the cells and stimulates the cells to synthesis more fatty and cholesterol. This more fatty acid and cholesterol synthesized is transported to peripheral tissues by the means of LDL. This is why high sugar intake predisposes the patient to atherosclerosis.

CPK enzyme

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:34:00 +0000

CPK enzyme ( also known as creatine phosphokinase and creatine kinase) is the enzyme which is responsible for the conversion of creatine to creatine phosphate. CPK enzyme plays a very important in skeletal muscle since it creatine phosphate system is important for the sudden energy requirements in the skeletal muscle. CPK enzyme is also abandontely found in brain and smooth muscle. During the conversion of 1 mol of creatine to creatine phosphate CPK enzyme converts 1mol of ATP to ADP. CPK Enzyme has several isoforms. Those isoforms are CPK-BB, CPK-MB, CPK-MM. The CPK-MM type is known as the skeletal muscle type of the CPK enzyme. CPK-BB type is known as the Brain type of the CPK enzyme.Only within the myocardial cells more than 5% of CPK-MB activity can be observed. Due to this fact CPK-MB isoform of the CPK Enzyme is used to diagnose myocardial cell damage and CPk enzyme palys a major role in the diagnosis of myocardial infarctions-heart attacks. This enzyme is also important in the diagnosis of various myopathies. Usually in muscle dystrophies plasma level of CPK enzyme is elevated. To differentiate the source of CPK enzyme isoform speific enzyme assays of other markers should be used.
Eg: CPK enzyme and Troponin I in myocardial infarctions.
CPK enzyme and myoglobin in muscle damage.
Fot more information about this read CPK Test and CPK Blood Test

CPK test

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:34:00 +0000

CPK test is a very important biochemical test used to diagnose specially conditions associated with muscle. CPK test also has a place in emergency care to diagnose myocardial infarctions. CPK Enzyme or the Creatine phosphokinase is found in almost all the cells of the body. But it is found in significant amounts in Heart, Brain and skeletal muscles. So when there is a heart attack, Brain cell necrosis or a muscle trauma the CPK enzyme contained with in these cells are released to the blood. So the plasma level of CPK enzyme is elevated. The objective of the CPK test is to measure this elevated CPK enzyme. Even in a normal individual there is a basal blood level of CPK enzyme. It is due to the normal wear and tear of the cells. In CPK test this amount is always measured. So when the CPK test result comes it is not something to get alarmed. Normal basal level of CPK enzyme in a properly conducted CPK test is 24-195U/L. But please keep in mind the outcome of the CPK test is laboratory and method specific. So you should always take into account the reference range given by the laboratory for the CPK test. Not only diseases there are drugs which can give rise to exaggerated results in CPK test.

Sodium nitrite and cancer risk

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Sodium nitrite and cancer risk

Sodium nitrite is a compound which is specially added to processed meat like cone beef, bacon and hotdogs. Even though this compound is neutral, within the body it can be converted to carcinogenic compounds which can cause cancers. It was clearly shown that Sodium nitrite increases the risk of leukemia.
Sodium nitrite is added to processed meat in order to retain the reddish appealing color. But this Sodium nitrite is converted to carcinogenic nitrosoamines by colonic bacteria which increase the risk of cancer. Since sodium nitrate is also converted to Sodium nitrite with in the body it also can be carcinogenic.
So if the same person who is eating lots and lost of processed food also having constipation the problem can be much more severe and probably he is having a heightened risk of colonic cancer. So beware of Sodium nitrite and cancer risk and next time make sure to read the label of the food item before you buy it.

Can you die from vitamin toxicity or Hypervitaminosis?

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Mode of action of fish oil

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:05:00 +0000

CPK enzyme

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:41:00 +0000

CPK enzyme ( Also known as creatine kinase and creatine phosphokinase) present in almost all the body tissues in different amounts. It is very abundant in muscle cells and brain. CPK enzyme is responsible for the interconversion of creatine and creatine phosphate while consuming ATP as the substrate. This enzyme has tissue specific isoforms and because of that it has a great therapeutic value. For an example skeletal muscle fibers have CPK-MM isoform of the CPK enzyme. Brain has CPK-BB isoform.
Myocardial cells have CPK-MB isoform. When there is an damage to the cells CPK enzyme which is usually present within the cells comes out and present in the plasma. In any normal human there is a basal level of this enzyme in the plasma due to the normal wear and tear of the cells. But in the disease condition this level rise to a higher value due to the tissue necrosis associated with that disease. For an example in a myocardial infarction CPK enzyme level in the blood rise to a very higher level. Since it has a cardiac specific isoform(CPK-MB) this can be used to detect myocardial cell damage. But it is necessary to keep in mind that the CPK enzyme level can be elevated in various diseases affecting the skeletal muscles also. Few years back this enzyme was widely used to to detect myocardial infarctions but in the recent years it's place has been replaced by Troponin-T (another cardiac specific protein)

Importance of plants

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 06:42:00 +0000

Importance of plants

Plants are important for human life in many ways. Without plants animal life on the planet earth would be almost impossible.
Importance of plants as a food source
Plants make up the largest proportion in our diet. Plants are much more important than the larger trees for this purpose since in many countries the staple diet comes from rice or wheat.
Importance of plants to maintain the balance in the echo-system
Plants are really necessary to maintain the balance in the echo-system. For an instance plants are necessary to cycle C on the planet. CO2 in the air taken in to the plants and stored in the carbohydrates. In the present time human activities have reduced the amount of plants on the planet. So all the cycles are now changing. Because of this now the humans feel the importance of plants more and more.

Importance of plants in medicine
Plant extracts contain many chemical compounds which are biologically active within the human body. For centuries humans have used plants and plant extracts to treat various disease conditions and more recently to produce new drugs. Still most of the plants carry a large number of unidentified compounds which can be really useful of making new drugs and for the identification of lead compounds. This can be very important in making new treatments available to diseases like AIDS.

How does Codeine cause constipation

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Codeine, a closely related substance to morphine (so codeine is also an opioid) converted in the body to morphine. Codeine is readily absorbed by mouth and it does not have the dependent effect of morphine. But since it is converted in the body to morphine it can cause various gastro-intestinal symptoms. So codeine increases the tone and reduces the motility of many parts of the gastro intestinal tract. This can delay the gastric emptying and considerably reduces the absorption of the other drugs. It can also increase the pressure in the biliary system since it increases the contraction of the gallbladder and increase the tone of the biliary sphincter. So codeine should be avoided in patients with biliary colic caused by gallstones. This action on gastro intestinal smooth muscles can cause severe constipation in some patients and it can be very troublesome to them.

AST test and AST enzyme test

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:36:00 +0000

AST test and AST enzyme test

How does paracetamol / acetaminophen relieve pain?

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:24:00 +0000

How does paracetamol / acetaminophen relieve pain?

Free nerve endings are responsible for the perception of pain. There are some chemical mediators of pain like bradykinin which stimulate free nerve endings and causes pain sensation. Drugs like paracetamol / acetaminophen are called NSAID s or Non Steroid Anti Inflammatory Drugs. These drugs inhibit a class of enzymes called COX ( cycloxygenase ) There are three types of cycloxygnase. COX-1, COX-2 and COX-3. COX is responsible for the synthesis of prostaglandins in various parts of the body. Prostatglandin sensitize free nerve endings to chemical mediators of pain So when the prostaglandin production decreased pain sensation decreases. Paracetamol also known to be a selective inhibitor of COX-3.

How does diabetes cause ulcers?

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:34:00 +0000

How does diabetes cause ulcers?
This question might be in the head of many diabetic patients. Actually diabetes predispose the patient for ulcers. But it does not directly cause ulcers.
You may know that the diabetes cause damage to the peripheral nerves of the patient. Not only diabetes but also alcohol causes this type of damage. This condition is called diabetic or alcoholic peripheral neuritis. Other less significant conditions are tabes dorsalis and syringomyelia.
When peripheral neuritis is present the patient develops glove and stoking type sensory loss. So their peripheries become insensitive to pain and pressure. When one of repeated injury allowed to occur because of lack of appreciation of pain in the area causes trauma and ulcers. These are called neuropathic or trophic ulcers.
Since diabetes also causes vasculitis poor blood supply to these wounds cause delayed healing and sometimes get complicated with bacterial infections.

CPK enzymes

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:41:00 +0000

There are different isoforms of CPK enzyme. These isoforms are known as CPK enzymes. Those are CPK-BB (Which is present in the brain cells) CPK-MM (Present in the skeletal muscles) CPK-MB (Present in the myocardial cells) Isolation of these different CPK enzymes ( isoforms) provide a significant therapeutic value. For an example in a myocardial infarction the blood level of CPK-MB is elevated. In an injury to skeletal muscles the blood level of CPK-MM is elevated. So the plasma level of CPK enzymes can be used to diagnose various diseases. This provides a great therapeutic tool for the doctors to uphold the health of the patient.

Complications of gall bladder removal / Complications of cholecystectomy

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:28:00 +0000

Complications of gall bladder removal / Complications of cholecystectomy

cholecystectomy is a very safe surgical procedure compared to the other operations and it a mortality rate less than 1%. Common cholecystectomy complications include wound haematoma, sepsis and collection of bile or pus in the sub hepatic space. In such collections it may be necessary to drain the collecting fluid by a percutaneous drainage.
More serious complications of cholecystectomy include bile leakage and main bile duct strictures.
Bile leaks
Bile leaks may occur from the open surface of the liver. These leaks very quickly dry off. But more profuse leakage can occur from slipped cystic duct ligature or an injury to the right or common hepatic duct. Occasionally substantial Bile leaks can occur following T-tube removal.

Treatments for bile leaks.
Re-operation or percutaneous drainage.

Bile duct narrowing / Bile duct stricture
this follows a accidental ligature or transection of the duct that has been inexpertly repaired. Patient with this condition may develop post-operative jaundice. This condition can progress to secondary biliary cirrhosis and portal hypertension.


Treatments for Bile duct narrowing / Bile duct stricture

Repair using a roux loop by an expert surgeon.

Ayurvedic treatment for juvenile diabetes / Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Even though the only treatment available in western medicine for Type 1 juvenile diabetes is insulin injection the Ayurvedic medicine has many different and successful methods to treat type 1 diabetes. Dr. H.M Senadeera (B.A., M. Phil) an Ayurvedic paediatrician in Sri Lanka with another western paediatrician have conducted several controlled studies to determine the effectiveness of a traditional Ayurvedic drug which has been used for many years by Ayurvedic paediatricians to treat Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Surprisingly they found the drug they tested is capable of elevating the serum insulin level in juvenile diabetes / Type 1 diabetes mellitus patients. According to Dr. H.M Senadeera this drug could be a very effective treatment for Type 1 diabetes mellitus. But further studies are needed to be done in this field.

Complications of fairness creams

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:21:00 +0000

Complications of fairness creams

around the world tremendous amount of fairness creams are produced under different trade names. With the current trend many people tend to use these products irrespective of their sex. But the fairness effect does not come alone. fairness creams do have other complications.
Before we talk about the Complications of fairness creams lets look at the common ingredients of fairness creams.

Hydroquinone
Kojic acid
retinoic acid
Plant extracts
Steroids
mercury salts
Bismuth subnitrate
Hydrogen peroxide
Magnesium peroxide
Zinc peroxide.
Vitamin B3 (niacinamide)
Mixture of US FDA- and EU-approved UV-A and UV-B sunscreens.
Ayurvedic herbs

From this long list chemicals more often associated with complications are Hydroquinone, retinoic acid, Steroids and mercury salts.
Now lets take one by one,

Hydroquinone,




Hydroquinone is a competitive inhibitor of the chemical pathway which proces melanin. This is very effective in whitening but it can give rise to various local and systemic allergies. In some online sources it said the the allergic complications can extend to a life threatening anaphylaxis. Normal fairness creams contain Hydroquinone less than 1%. But there are whitening lotions which are serving theaputic needs which contain hydroquinone 4%. Not only that Hydroquinone sensitize the skin to UV rays and can cause sun burns and photo sensitivity. This is a serious complication of Hydroquinone.


Retinoic acid





This is a vitamin A derivative which promotes cell differentiation. Topical application of this is relatively safe. But Retinoic acid is teratogenic in humans at very low doses. So exposure to Retinoic acid in first 3-5 weeks of pregnancy can cause various complicated fetal malformations.

Artificial Pancreas

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:49:00 +0000

Artificial pancreas! another marvelous product of bioengineering. It may be the dream of every type one diabetes. But with the help of Bioengineering it's not impossible. Unlike other false artificial pancreas this new product can be stored inside the human body . Not only that. It's living!
This method is to implant bioengineered tissue containing islet cells which would secrete the proper amount of insulin and glucagon the body needs.Encapsulation of the islet cells in a protective coating has been developed to block the immune response to transplanted cells.

How to hack a human?

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:42:00 +0000

How to hack a human?
For most of the people above question can be funny. But in our real life it's is not funny. In our day to day life we hack the systems of the other people. But unlike hacking computers, which require various technical skills, hacking humans may be potentiated by an affective look or a pleasant smile. Suppose that you want to marry some one. First you have to hack your partners system and gain access to it. Then you can create a permanent data link. Only after that your partner will love you. So what do you think about this. Your comments are welcome.

How do people die?

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:42:00 +0000

How do people die?

How do people die? This is an obvious question. But the answer is very long. In legal sense death of a person occurs when all his brain functions are ceased. But medically there are several different types of deaths,
These include
Somatic death
Cell death
Brain death
But this is not the answer to the above question. To answer the above question we should list the causes of the death. These include trauma, Infections, toxins, irradiation, suffocation, dehydration, Nutritional deprivation, congenital abnormalities, cancers and etc. This is a very long list and it is almost impossible to mention everything here.
These different causes have different mechanisms in the causation of the death.

How does trauma cause death?
In a trauma vital organs can be damaged. For an example if the brain is damaged to a considerable extent it can cause an instant death. In some traumas excessive blood losses can cause circulatory arrest and shock.

How do toxins cause death?

Almost all the toxins interact with the cells at the molecular level. Well known poison cyanide inhibits the enzyme cytochrome oxidase of the respiratory chain and diminishes cellular production of ATP. This cause an instantaneous death of all the exposed cells. Some toxins like organo phosphates can interfere with the neurotransmitter function and can cause death.

How does irradiation cause death?

Some radiations like, alpha rays, can cause direct burn injuries. But the other radiations may not cause such obvious physical damage. But these radiations can cause damage to cellular DNA damage which can ultimately lead to the death. Small DNA alterations can give rise to tumors and carcinoma.

How do Infections cause death?

Infections can cause death in many ways. Infective organisms can cause direct death of the cells which ultimately lead to the death of that individual. Some infective organisms secrete toxines which can damage cells in different ways. Some infections cause immunodeficiency which ultimately leads to the death by an infection from another organism.

How antibiotics cause bacteria mediated damage to the intestine?

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:39:00 +0000

As you all know certain antibiotics when taken orally can cause gastro-intestinal tract disturbances and sometimes it can extend to serious side effects. All these symptoms and signs occur due to the disturbance of the normal flora of the gut. As you know there are susceptible and resistant bacterias to a antibiotic of choice. When that antibiotic is administered the susceptible bacterias die or the growth is retarded. But now the resistant bacterias do not die and those have a better chance of overgrowing since all the other bacterias in the gut are less in number.

Pseudomembranous colitis

One classical example for this is Pseudo membranous colitis. It is an acute inflammatory condition of the colon where a membranous exudate is produced. Sometimes this can be lethal.

Pathogenesis of Pseudomembranous colitis



Treatment

Treatments include avoiding the causative antibiotic and oral metronidazole (Vancomycin is also used.)This condition is also known as antibiotic associated colitis.

Laboratory identification of Clostridium difficile
Cultured from stools using routine anaerobic procedures. Toxin can be demonstrated in stool extracts.

References

Wikipedia - Pseudomembranous colitis

Natural foods which can cause Vitamin A toxicity

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:38:00 +0000

Most of the people think that it is impossible to develop vitamin toxicity by consumption of the natural foods. But this is a myth. Even though vitamin toxicity develops very rarely with natural foods but it is usually due to the oral intake of lipid soluble vitamins. There are well documented cases of acute vitamin toxicity, which developed after the consumption of certain food items. As you all know liver of any animal is responsible for detoxification of toxins and the storage of vitamins. This mechanism is really important for the storage of vitamin A and due to this most of the animal livers contain high amount of Vitamin A. But this amount in many animals is not adequate to cause acute vitamin A toxicity. But, polar bear liver, whale liver, shark liver and the lowly tuna liver may contain very high amount of vitamin A . This amount of Vitamin A may be adequate to cause acute vitamin A toxicity. First case of Vitamin A toxicity has described in 1597 by Gerrit ge Veer in the arctic. He is a carpenter and the crew of the ship he worked developed serious symptoms after eating a polar bear liver. Symptoms of acute vitamin A toxicity are headache, dizziness, vomiting, stupor and blurred vision.
Next time when you eat a polar bear liver, even though it is a great delicacy, keep in mind to eat in moderation. If you develop above symptoms after that better to seek medical attention immediately.

SOME INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT CANNABIS

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:37:00 +0000

Extracts of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa, the hemp plant contains an interesting compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Various parts of this plant are used with different names but all these compounds contain the same chemical, THC. These compounds are,Marijuana- prepared using dried leaves and flowers used as a smoking mixtureHashish – The extracted resinA metabolite of THC, 11-hydroxy-THC is much more active that the original compound. Cannabis is probably the most widely abused substance in the word although its use is illegal in almost all the countries. This widespread use is due to the fact that it can be grown fairly easily in tropics and only requires a small space. 15% of the adult population in Western Europe has taken Cannabis at least once in their life.Action and pharmacological effectsCannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), acts centrally and peripherally. With its central action it produces,Feeling of relaxation and well-beingA feeling of sharpened sensory awarenessIt also,Impairs short term memoryImpairs motor coordination Causes catalepsyHas an antiemetic actionCauses increased appetiteIts main peripheral effects are,Tachycardia- Increased heart rateVasodilatation- Causes blood shotBronchodilatationCannabis / Cannabinoid / tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) receptorCannabinoids are highly lipid soluble and earlier it was thought Cannabis / Cannabinoid / tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) act in the same way as the local anesthetics. But now it is clear that Cannabinoids have a specific receptor. The receptor is coupled to G-proteins and linked to adenylate cyclase, sodium channels and calcium channels. Brain Cannabinoid / tetrahydrocannabinol/ THC receptor also known as CB1 subtype is abundant in hippocampus, cerebellum, substantia nigra and mesolimbic system. This receptor,Impairs short term memoryImpairs motor coordination Causes catalepsyHas an antiemetic actionCauses increased appetiteThe peripheral Cannabinoid / tetrahydrocannabinol/ THC receptor also known as CB2 is located mainely in the lymphoid system and responsible for the inhibitory effects on the immune function.Tolerance and dependence to cannabisFortunately tolerance and dependence to cannabis occurs in a very small proportion of the abusers and only in heavy users. Abstinence symptoms are nausea, agitation, irritability, confusion, tachycardia, sweating etc. Some interesting questions…..Do people die due to cannabis overdose?Actually this is a tricky question. Straight answer is no. But cannabis and all other abused substances, Marijuana, Hashish, are capable f producing drowsiness and confusion. These are due to the effects of Cannabinoid / tetrahydrocannabinol/ THC. It does not have any cardiovascular or respiratory effects which threaten the life. Can cannabis cause cancers?With the current knowledge this question is difficult to answer. But the epidemiological studies have not shown any association between cannabis usage and cancers. But cannabis does cause chromosomal breakdowns. S further research needed to be done in this area.Can cannabis cause fetal malformations?Epidemiological studies have not shown any significant association. But further studies needed to be done for a conclusion.Can cannabis cause male / female infertility? Cannabis is not known to cause infertility. But due to its effects on the endocrine system definitely it can cause sub fertility. Studies have shown 50% decrease in serum testosterone and sperm count[...]

Reperfusion injury

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:36:00 +0000

When there is an infarction to a particular tissue it is necessary to reestablish the perfusion to that tissue as soon as possible. When the perfusion is reestablished sometimes the tissue damage can be recovered and the tissue starts to function normally. But the reperfusion itself can cause tissue damage. This is against the general public idea held by many people that reperfusion does no cause any injury. When an artery is blocked by a thrombus various drugs (Streptokinase) are given to dissolve this clot and re establish the circulation. But when the circulation is reestablished free radicals can be formed in the ischemic tissue and can cause tissue damage. This may be due to the fact that functions of the organelles of the many ischemic cells are impaired and these organelles produce free radicals. For an example when streptokinase is given to a patient with a myocardial infarction sudden spike of CPK enzyme level can be seen in the CPK enzyme test.

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