Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Essay Example for Free

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Essay Many people are affected by genetic disorders every day. Abnormalities in one’s DNA are what cause a genetic disorder. These disorders could be as little as a mutation in a single gene. In another case, they could be as severe as having an extra chromosome, or taking away a chromosome. Genetic disorders are present from birth, but they may not be visibly seen until a later age. Some mutations could be heritable, or from your parents genes. Some forms of cancer can be inherited form a parent. Although, in most cases, these mutations are new changes to the DNA. â€Å"All humans have the same basic set of genes†. This means that everyone has the probability that they could get a genetic disorder. The thing that makes us different is the genetic sequence. There are many different types of genetic disorders. A few of them are: Angleman syndrome, Hemophilia, Sickle-cell disease, Neurofibromatosis, Cri du chat, and Down syndrome. People are born with these diseases and have to face many challenges every day to live with these genetic mutations. This essay is going to specifically cover one genetic disorder called Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a genetic disorder that occurs in the nervous system. Each word in ALS briefly describes what the disorder is. Amyotrophic has two parts to it. The prefix â€Å"amyo† means muscular atrophy. Atrophy means to waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells. The suffix â€Å"trophic† means that it is relating to feeding and nutrition. So to sum it up, amyotrophic means that the muscles have lost their nourishment. Lateral usually means the side of something. In this case, it means that the mutation is affecting the sides of the spine. The sides of the spine are where the nerves that nourish the muscles can be found. Sclerosis is the abnormal hardening of body tissue. In this case its referring to how the mutated part of the spinal cord develops hardened or scarred tissue, in place of healthy nerves. The mutation damages nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The damage caused by it, most of the time, leads to one’s death. After motor neurons die, the brain is unable to control muscle movement, and the victim becomes paralyzed. It targets the motor neurons that allow you to make voluntary movements and it effects your muscle strength. Voluntary movements are movements in which you control. These are movements that require you to think about the action in order for it to happen. For example, lifting you leg to kick a ball is a voluntary action. Involuntary actions do not require any thinking and some happen automatically, such as your heart beating, or breathing. There are many symptoms in that come along with ALS. Most of the symptoms do not occur unless people reach the age of 50. Although there have been some cases, where the symptoms occur in younger people. According to some studies, the first two muscles that are most often affected are the muscles that allow you to swallow and breathe. There can be many noticeable symptoms because your muscles get weaker. You may notice an increase in gagging, drooling, and choking. You may feel that you cannot lift your head up, because your neck muscles are weak. There are many physical tests that can be given to attempt to diagnose Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Certain physical tests could show muscle weakness in certain areas, weird walk or posture, and abnormal reflexes. There are tests that can be used to diagnose ALS. One method is taking a blood test, so that the doctors can rule out any other possible disease that it could be. Victims can also receive a spinal tap, a MRI, or even a family background check to see if there is any history of ALS in the family. There is one major problem with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Scientists and doctors have still not been able to find a permanent treatment for it. Although there is one medicine called riluzole that can slow down the symptoms, giving victims longer to live. Physical therapy and the use of braces, are non-medicinal ways of helping with the muscle weakness. There are many medications that can be used to help with specific symptoms of ALS. Since choking is common in someone with ALS, most people are hooked up to a tube and are fed through it. This is called a gastrostomy. A gastrostomy is when they make an opening in the stomach from the abdominal wall so they can put in food. This is obviously a surgical procedure. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is named after Lou Gehrig, who was a famous baseball player in 1930s. The French refer to it as Maladie de Charcot because the first recording of ALS was in 1869 by a French doctor named Jean-Martin Charcot. Stephen Hawking is one of the more famous people with ALS. He has had ALS since the start of his adult life, and he has been living with it for more than 50 years. Most people die from it three to five years after the symptoms become noticeable. This is why Stephen Hawking’s case is very special. It was just after his 21 birthday when he found out something was wrong. Yet he is still living and doing the most he can with his life. For example, being one of the smartest people on earth. People that live with ALS every day. Once the symptoms start to show, and or get serious, they are unable to care for themselves. They are usually taken care of by a family member or even a close friend. In some serious cases, victims must remain at the hospital because they are unable to eat and function without medical assistance. As mentioned previously, the victims sometimes have to be fed through a tube because they are unable to chew. Living with ALS is a very hard thing to do. It’s hard for the family members, friends, doctors, and most importantly, the victim.

Mood of Passage in Snow Falling On Cedars Essay -- essays research pap

In the passage be ginning â€Å"They had picked†¦Ã¢â‚¬  from the novel Snow Falling On Cedars, the author, David Guterson, uses many techniques to give the passage a depressing, and frightening mood. He uses vivid imagery to describe Carl’s dead body. He also uses figurative language, such as metaphors and similes to show the severity of the situation. Finally, his diction shows the reader how reading about a crime scene can seem real if the word choice is right. All the techniques Guterson use help the reader to feel as if they were actually at the scene when Carl’s dead body was found in the ocean.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The words that Guterson uses create vivid images in the reader’s mind thanks to his use of imagery in the passage. For example, when one reads about the â€Å"bubbles of seawater coursing under† Carl’s shirt, and his â€Å"icy but brilliant pink† skin that looked as if the sea had parboiled in the sea, they might be disgusted. The imagery lets readers actually imagine a dead Carl in their mind, which can be very depressing. Death is also a very scary subject for some, so imagining this would even frighten some. If Guterson would have just said that he was dead and the officers pulled him out of the water, it would not have been as effective. The reader might not have even got any mood out of that, but the mood is also determined by other factors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Figurative language is used abundantly in the passage. Guterson uses metaphors such as Carl’s h...

Galapagos Island Essay

Galapagos island is located at the Pacific Ocean placed along the equator which is about 1,000 km from the coast of South America. It is composed of 13 main islands, 6 small islands and â€Å"107 islets and rocks. † A province of Ecuador, Galapagos islands’ capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno which is mostly inhabited by an estimated 18,000 people. Some of the islands were formerly active volcanoes but some are still active (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Biodiversity in Galapagos Island Galapagos Island’s seclusion and controlled population contributed to its rich and extensive biodiversity. Because of these factors, the pace of evolutionary changes have accelerated that resulted to diversification and the formation of new species called speciation. The geographical isolation of the island wherein the â€Å"archipelago is isolated from the continent, the islands from each other by different distances, and the habitat types by their climatic differences,† aided in the promotion of different evolutionary tracks resulting to varying terrain, vegetation, animal and plant life between every islands (Charles Darwin Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Galapagos Land Ecosystems†). Vegetation in Galapagos is influenced by land habitat and climate but is â€Å"strongly zoned by altitude. † There are four vegetations zones in Galapagos namely: Littoral Zone which is affected by the salt spray alongside the coast; Dry Zone has the biggest scope in the island; Transition Zone is a vegetation of woodland; and Humidi Zone is characterized by highland grasslands and Miconia scrub (Charles Darwin Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Galapagos Land Ecosystems†). A variety of animal and plant life also forms the abundant biodiversity of Galapagos. There are many animals living in the island, in which most of them roam freely because of the absence of predators. Reptiles, terrestrial mammals, birds and fishes are all endemic creatures and consider Galapagos as their home (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). One of the famous specie in this island is a giant pre-historic tortoise called Lonesome George. Galapagos tortoises are part of the species â€Å"Geochelone elephantopus. † These animals have undergone fourteen forms depending on their location at the Galapagos. But bad news for Lonesome George, if experts cant’ produce or obtain a mate for him soon, his species will become extinct. In addition, a wide array of animals have gained popularity within and outside the islands including the marine turtle, marine and land iguanas, lava lizards and others (Galapaguide, â€Å"Galapagos Animals†). Meanwhile, plant life is also as diverse and one of a kind as the animal life. There are many theories on how vegetation started in Galapagos. One possible scenario is when spores and seeds were transported by the wind or through the â€Å"feet, plummage and digestive system of migratory birds† or probably because of the force of the marine current (Galapagos Voyage, â€Å"Galapagos Island Animal, Flora & Fauna†). Depending on the vegetation, various species of plants, flowers and trees are present in every island. Some can only be solely found in Galapagos such as passion flower, tomato, guava and cotton. Numerous plant species have changed into an assortment of endemic species which scientists explained as ‘adaptive radiation’ (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). All of these species though diverse have a symbiotic relationship with each other. Galapagos’ rare but exquisite ecosystem had produced a lavish and fertile marine, aquatic, terrestrial, avian and flora and fauna life all over the islands. Furthermore, the distinctiveness and the detachment of the islands from the hustle and bustle of civilization gave Galapagos a unique feature that it can clearly claim for its own. No other place in the world comes close to being as diverse and extraordinary as the Galapagos islands. Conservation and Preservation of Galapagos Island Galapagos Island is one of the best kept secrets of the world. Its captivating beauty and enigmatic charm have lured numerous people ranging from tourists, scientists, fishermen and others. Because of this, the Galapagos have been put on the list of sites that are in danger by the World Heritage. The influx of humans in the islands have caused a domino effect that have immensely affected the plant and animal life and the whole ecosystem as well (People & the Planet, 2007, â€Å"Galapagos Islands put on danger list†). The ecological degradation is caused by the development trends that are in contrasts with the conservation efforts in the islands. Three main factors that affected Galapagos’ ecology were the growth in human population, increase of transportation from the main island to Galapagos and the intensified fishing (Bensted-Smith, 1999, â€Å"A Biodiversity Vision for the Galapagos Islands†) . The â€Å"accelerating cycle of economic and population growth pushed by external markets† have elevated the danger to local biodiversity. The increase in demand for â€Å"tourism and marine resources† have caused the emergence of invasive species, too much harvesting of marine life, and pollution. As a consequence, the islands have suffered from social, economical and political stresses due to the amplified desire to use Galapagos’ natural wealth and public services. This was manifested because of tourism mismanagement in the islands. Tourism brought economic growth, however, Galapagos being a fragile ecosystem, was not able to adapt to the changes causing major damages in the biodiversity (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Human intrusion to the delicate biodiversity of Galapagos is very much evident in the modern age but civil groups and the government are drafting efforts to ensure that most or all of forms of life in the islands are conserved and preserved. The presence of marine reserves and the Galapagos national park are the initial drives to protect the endemic species and the pristine environment (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Issues in Galapagos†). More so, the Ecuadorian government have set up significant initiatives the following: 1) migration to the islands was regulated; 2) quarantine inspection system was installed; 3) public funds for ecoparks were increased; and 4) additional monetary support were yielded for conservation projects (Bensted-Smith, 1999, â€Å"A Biodiversity Vision for the Galapagos Islands†). To further the enterprise for preservation and conservation, there should be numerous researches to be conducted regarding social and biological sciences to help intensify the information drive on Galapagos biodiversity. Through this, environmental awareness will be increase thus reducing the possibility of disruption of the ecosystem. Also, there should be local and national agencies that would consolidate all conservation forces in the islands and ensure its effective management . Another solution would be putting up â€Å"sustainable and equitable businesses† to make sure that humans don’t abuse the natural resources and Galapagos’ ecology (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Meanwhile collective efforts are very powerful in conserving and preserving, however as an individual, you can also contribute by donating to institutions that help foster the growth of Galapagos biodiversity. Also, in today’s technological era, you could use the internet to raise awareness about the environmental problems plaguing Galapagos to awaken the senses of millions and millions of people all over the world. Another contribution for the advancement of conservation and preservation is by joining organizations whose objectives are to save the animal and plant life of Galapagos. Galapagos island is indeed a place where all living species exist in peace but the constant threat of human intervention can increase the possibility of Galapagos having a tragic death. If things will not be controlled and modulated, this pristine archipelago will soon be extinct. The existence of endemic plants and centuries old animals in Galapagos are the most crucial elements that can’t be replaced and renewed once they have been exterminated. These environmental gems are the key to future development of other living organisms. Without them, things will not be the same and we would be depriving future generations the chance to experience and study these unique and bountiful ecosystem. So to prevent this from happening, we must start within ourselves by promoting and practicing preservation and conservation of our natural resources and this will have a chain effect wherein every living being would experience existing in a sustainable environment. References Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands. (2006). Galapagos Land Ecosystems. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. darwinfoundation. org/en/galapagos/land Bensted-Smith, R. (Ed). 2002. A biodiversity vision for the Galapagos Islands. CDF: Galapagos. Galapaguide. Galapagos Animals. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. galapaguide. com/islas_galapagos_fauna. htm Galapagos Conservation Trust. (2008). Explore Galapagos. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. gct. org/intro. html Galapagos Conservation Trust. (2008). Issues in Galapagos. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. gct. org/issues. html Galapagos Voyage. Galapagos Island Animal, Flora & Fauna. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. galapagosvoyage. com/page_content. asp? id_page=149 People & the Planet. (2007, July 07). Galapagos Islands put on danger list. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://peopleandplanet. net/doc. php? id=3061

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