Andrenaline keeps me in the game

"Adrenaline keeps me in the game, adrenaline you don't even feel the pain," was a song the came out in Vin Diesel's  XXX.

Adrenaline is freaking awesome. I would always experience an adrenaline rush during my friday night football games. My adrenaline level was so high that if I were to get knocked down by a hard hit, I would get right back up. Even a cut in my skin would not be felt, until I looked at it the next day. In a sense, the lyrics from the song above is viable to an extent.

Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone that increase heart rate, and induces the fight-or-flight response in the sympathetic nervous system we all learned in A&P I.

Adrenaline is commonly used in the medical field to help treat patients who have gone under cardiac arrest. So yes, even though our body produces it, it is available in liquid form.

However, adrenaline is not a drug to be played around with. Just because they used it on the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street doesn't mean that it is safe. It raises your heart rate like crazy and can make you do things you wouldn't normally do. Especially things that are unsafe. You can even die from having to much adrenaline. I mean if your heart is racing faster than a mofo, then it is bound to crash.

****Joke for Dr Zen***

What is the fastest way to determine the sex of a chromosome?

-You pull down its "genes"

I don't get the "bad effects" of energy drinks

Ever since the famous Red Bull drink came out, many have tried the drink that "gives you wings." In my opinion it really DOES!!! You can be in a crappy mood, and as soon as your lips touch the can, and you take a big gulp of that miracle juice, you are wide awake and pumped. You feel like you can take on the world.
However many do believe that this drink is dangerous for your body. The main culprits are the caffiene and taurine present in the mixture. As it is, our body makes its own taurine and caffiene, and an excess being brought in could be harmful to our immune system and cause other health problems. In addition, children and pregnant women are strongly discouraged from drinking Red Bull due to the high amounts of caffeine present causing increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, and anxiety. It is also not recommended to mix with any alcohol.

Red Bull Really Does Give You Wings to heaven.....DEAD!!!

In the end, the energy drink is not necessarily dangerous for you to drink, yet it not beneficial either. Precaution is advised when you decide to drink a Red Bull. Remember the Golden Rule: DO NOT DRINK MORE THAN TWO A DAY!!!!

Today I woke up with Streptococcal Pharyngitis

What is Streptococcal Pharyngitis. It is commonly known as "sore throat or strep throat." Characteristics of having "sore throat" is when you have difficulty swallowing and pain in the throat area. Picture a inflammed throat with adhering pus and tiny little hemmorahages scattered. (That is not a pretty picture is it) Sometimes infected individuals can't even tell they have it due to mild to no symptoms at all. Strep throat is known to affect individuals on an average about a week.

Prevention and treatment include ventilation and avoidance of crowding, since the infection is highly contagious. Sadly, no vaccine is available yet. Daily penicillin treatment to prevent further infection. There are also little home remedies such as honey, and mixing salt with water to help speed the process of curing. In the end, whenever you get a strep throat, it just plain sucks. The pain is excruciating. I'm going to go try some salt with water right now to see if that helps.

Could Zombies take over the world?

I love horror movies, especially those with zombies. There have been so many movies made like Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, and Dawn of the Dead that illustrate a zombie apocalypse spontaneously showing up due to the spread of some kind of virus. However, I did a little research to see if "zombies" could be possible in our world. The topics i will discuss were found on a web site, in which i will attach the link below.

The first way to become a zombie would be through brain parasite such as toxoplasmosa gondii, which is known to cause some sort of brain control in rates. It causes the rats to show "insane" effects. In addition, the pararasite is know to also be present in some humans, but not show the same effets yet. If the parasite were to evolve a little bit more, then maybe the chance of having a brain dead human being could be possible such as in the Resident Evil games starting with part 4.

A second chemical that could be used are neurotoxins. Neurotoxins, such as the drug drug like datura stramonium, can induce humans to a trance state, with no memory. However, the infected individual would still be able to eat, moan and move. An excellent example of this was seen in Resident Evil 5.

The number one cause on this list that i find not to credible is the making of nanobots. Nanobots have been said to be able to control our brain through "rewiring" our thoughts. This is sort of scary to be true. They say that the nanobots will control our bodies after we die, and spread to new hosts through the infected individual biting a healthy person. I don't really find this cause to be possible than the other topics i stated above.

In the end all we can do is hope nothing like what happens in the movies can happen in real life.

 
http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen_p5.html

So, you had to have your Appendix removed?

During my elementary years in school, some fellow students in my school had their appendix removed. When I heard that one of their organs had be taken out, I thought, "How are they still surviving without an organ?" I thought they were weird, different people for having to have their organ removed. Well now I know that it was because of appendicitis, and it is not an abnormal procedure for people to encounter when they have to remove it.

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. Unfortunately, the only way to cure it is to have your appendix removed through the procedure of an appendectomy. The appendix, to this day, has no known function, and we are able to live without it. If an inflammed appendix is left untreated, it will bursts and spread infectious materials into the abdominal cavity causing death. It is important to remove the appendix as soon as possible to avoid the burst.


Appendicitis occurs when the appendix is block by a stool or foreign objects. It is characterized as a sharp pain  near the navel or the upper abdomen, loss of appetite, or painful urination. There is no way to prevent appendicitis from happening, but it is known that diets high in fiber may be a contributing factor to preventing appendicits from happening.

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-appendicitis?page=1

Rodents carry disease

Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by the deer mice in North America. It is known to spread by thier urine, droppings, and saliva. Make sure whenever you find a rat dropping you treat it as a biohazard because there is no way to distinguish an infected rat droppping carrying the hantavirus compared to a normal dropping without the virus. What makes this virus even scarier is that it can be transmitted through the air by breathing in the dust, or particles, of the droppings.

Picture of a deer mouse

Symptoms over the virus occur about after a month of exposure starting with flu like symptoms, including fever, vomiting and fatigue. If infected, you start experiencing respiratory failure characterized by shortness of breath

Treatment is available if the virus happens to concentrate more on your kidneys. However, if the virus happens to reside in lungs, there is still no treatment/cure for this type of infection.

You can prevent receiving the hantavirus by taking some precautions in your daily life such as setting mouse traps, making sure your house has all cracks sealed where rodents could potentially enter, treat every rat dropping as a biohazard, and drinking disinfected water all to prevent the possibility of encountering this virus.

Sources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001382.htm
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehsphl/factsheet/hanta.htm

Staph Infection

Ever heard the coaches and trainers consistentlly tell you how important it was to take a shower after your workout? There was a reason for that. In addition, whenever you got a cut on your skin, would they immediately send you to get taped up. Staphylococcus aureus, AKA Staph infection, is the cause for this strict protection.

Staph Aureus is known to be part of the normal flora of some individuals, but can be harmful to others who don't have it. For instance, take a normal, healthy looking, football player all sweaty from lifting weights. His sweaty arm ends up rubbing against the leg of one of his fellow teammates. The teammate has a cut from practice that has been left unbandaged for the past weeks. The sweaty skin touching the leg of the teammate is enough to transfer Staph auerus and cause health problems.

What does Staph Look Like? 

Gram positive cocci

Under a microscope with a gram stain, they are seen as gram-positve cocci clustered up.
However, since you might not have access to a microscope, there are other physical symptoms to look out for.


Individual with Staph infection

Staph infection can be characterized by a pimple like thing appearing anywhere on your body. It will be a collection of pus, often associated with redness and pain in the affected area as illustrated above.
Treatment of Staph
If left untreated staph infection can be known to cause death. In other words, the longer you wait to treat it, the more health problems you will encounter. Staph is resisitant to penicillin to don't even try any medication with the suffix -cillin. Doctors usually prescribe an ointment to treat staph. In some cases, even surgery is required to remove the infected area. (I know because this happend to two of my friends senior year) Personal hygiene is the best way to prevent staph infection from happening.

Large lizard with deadly saliva

The komodo dragon is the biggest lizard that still roams the earth. Their primary habitat is throughout the islands in Indonesia. Komodo's are fierce creatures that are carnivores. They have even been reported to have attacked humans.What is the most interesting part of the komodo is how they hunt their prey.

Even though they have large size, and can run up to 11 miles per hour, the most deadly thing the komodo possesses is thier saliva. Thier saliva is known to carry various types of harmful bacteria to cause death, or severe infection, such as E.Coli and Staphylococcus sp. etc. A komodo will bite its prey, and depending on how much strength the prey shows, the komodo will back away and literally stalk the pray until the infection from the bite causes the prey to become weak and delirious. An interesting show, Eaten Alive, came out in the National Geographic Channel  demonstrating these actions taken by a komodo, but on a human. Two days, and the bite the victim recieved showed severe infection and spread out throughout the body. The victim was weak and hallucinating, giving the komodo the perfect chance for attack with the least resistance from the victim.

So the next time you see a komodo at the zoo, make sure not to get close to its cage because one bite could result in serious health problems, even death.

An extra Y chromosome in Males (XYY)

In genetics lecture last week, the professor talked on the subject of the possibility in some males of having an extra Y chromosome. He termed these individuals as "super males" due to the addition of another Y chromosome. I had to research the topic more into depth and this is what I found.

"Super males" were first found in a prison setting. Scientists found out that most prisoners carried an extra Y chromosome, thereby giving them more anger and strength than the "normal" male. It was also thought that this extra chromosome brought about homosexuality, tallness and below average intelligence to the individual. All these observations were biased because there were still males that were not in prison, and appeared normal, amongst society. It is hard to figure out which male has an extra Y chromosome because there are no phyical abnormalities, except for the characteristics described earlier.

XXY syndrome can only happen in males exclusively. Instead of the normal 46 chromosomes, the "super male" receives 47 due to the addition of the Y. It is also not an inherited trait, but rather random in 1 to 1,000 newborn males. It is also not known to be a risk for diseases, illnesses, or shorter lifespan.

So the next time someone tells you there is a "super male" that they know, just relax. He probably just has an extra Y chromosome, and may have some of the flaws listed above.

More information can be found on
http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/xyy-syndrome-1

Why did he call me "Bipolar"?

Have you ever been called, or referred to as bipolar? Do you even know what it is, or does?

It basically is when you go through random mood swings, either happy or sad, day by day. One minute you can be happy, without a care in the world. The next thing you know you are telling off everyone and have an uncontrollable anger.

It is sad to say but bipolar disorder is linked to genetics in an individual. If a family member of yours has bipolar, you are 6 times as likely to get it also.Bipolar disorder has been known to give suicidal thoughts to the affected individual, as well as poor performance in schools and jobs. Substance abuse is very common with people who have bipolar disorder, along with anxiety attacks.

Unfortuantely there is no cure for bipolar yet. Mood stabilizing medication such as lithium can prove to be a temporary fix to the problem.

So the next time you are called bipolar, rub it into the person's face that they are. Now that you know some background, tell others about what bipolar is. I have included a link at the bottom if you would like some more information regarading the bipolar disorders.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtmlhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml

Drink OJ, no flu

Ever since middle school, the myth was passed around to all students that drinking your orange juice everyday would prevent you from getting the flu. I have always been skeptical about this statement, but not until recently did I decide to "Google" the topic.

It turns out that orange juice contains a high percentage of vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system. Therefore, a less chance of catching the flu. Not only can it help reduce the probablity of the flu, but it can help lower cholesterol levels, along with blood pressure. It is also known to help in arthritis, heart disease, and cell production (includes the healing process).

Even though it is beneficial to drink, too much can cause some problems. So it is important to have a moderate consumption of the OJ.

Who would've thought that one simple juice, many drink, could have such diverse beneficial effects on our immune system and total wellness?

You thought the great white was the biggest?!

Everyone knows, and fears, the great white shark. No other creature that lives in the ocean can give every human the same scare as this type of shark. However, there in  fact used to exist a bigger shark. One larger than any great white shark alone. This shark is known by the name Megladon. This animal lived around the time period of the dinosaurs. Other than the whole "asteroid killing the dinosaurs" conspiracy, not much is known on how these animals became extinct.

Many question whether the existense of this carnivore was possible. Fossils have been found in the past to prove this theory. The only thing is no more fossils have been found lately. That however does not take away the possiblity that this creature is not extinct. For all we know, it could still be lurking in the deep dark oceans of our planet. We know more about space than our oceans.

So the next time someone brags about how the great white is the biggest known shark, ask them if they know who Megladon was.

Garlic=Medicine?

Garlic has medicinal capabilities to our overall health. Who would of thought that one of the most smelliest vegetables would have positive side effects to our health.  It is known to prevent the common cold, sore throat, and coughs. Not only can this vegetable do that, but it can also decrease cholesterol and the chance of having clogged veins, or arteries.

Believe it or not: it can also treat some symptoms of acne.

As every medicine has its benefits, they have their negative side effects as well. Eating too much garlic could result in damage to the digestive tract. It also is known to have certain allerigic effects with some people.

How can the same thing used to fight vampires, be used to our beneficial health. It is amazing how an everyday fruit can have medicinal properties. I wonder which vegetables/frutis have the same phyical properties.

Works Cited :http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health.html

Piranhas scare teddy

In 1913, Theodore Roosevelt went on an expedition to Brazil on the banks of the Amazon River. What he found proved to be something he had never seen before. Something so horrendous he ended up writing a book describing the things he saw on his expedition. I am talking about piranhas.

Piranhas have been known to be cold-blooded killers. Rumors say that they have even attacked and eaten human beings. Is this necessarily true? On Rooselvelt's trip, he saw piranhas devour a whole cow, and described them as the "most ferocious fish in the world." He even interviewed locals who told him stories of people being attacked by simply swimming in the water.

A study was made to see how piranhas act when exposed to "live bait" being presented to them. They concluded that piranhas only attack the weaker individuals. They start to do little bites one by one, then when the prey proves to be weak, they all gang up on him. If you look on youtube, with the search word: piranha, you will find people who have piranhas as pets. From frogs to even a rat, they devour the little critters into pieces where the bone can be seen.

I still would't have the guts to get in a river full of piranhas, and I know many others would feel the same way. In my opinion, they seem to be unpredictable and can devour you if a school of piranhas would be present in the water.

Your Honor, please go with the flow!

The debate is still in the White House yet again.Why can all the Supreme Court Justices agree for the legal authorization of stem cell research?

According to an article done by Reuters earlier this afternoon, one judge refused to lift the ban on fedearl funding for human embroyonic stem cell research. Why was he the only justice out of the nine to say no. Is it still in regards to the whole religious thing that mankind should not have the power, or ability to play god. Not only his he shutting the door, or setting back important research, he is also costing many scientists their jobs.

I strongly disagree with all the "anti-stem cell research" activists. It is important for the benefit of our society that we continue this conducive research because it is said to be the answer to many of our scarce human tissue needs, and the cure to many current incurable diseases. How is America supposed to get ahead on the advancement of medicine if our own government won't coroparate? We will never get ahead of China!