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Survivor? Or Starvation? March 4, 2011

Posted by abueno526 in Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition.
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Outwit. Outplay. Outlast.

Survivor. A show with the motto above,  “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.” Contestants are put on a deserted island with meager food, shelter, and comforts to compete in a series of challenges as they try to become the ‘Sole Survivor”.  Although the glory of winning the title is great, what is physically happening to contestants’ bodies as they put themselves under these extreme conditions?  Some, like Russell Swan from Survivor:Samoa, get fatigued earlier than others, having to be removed from the game for medical reasons.  When this shut down occurs, what is happening?  How far can they really be pushed until they move into a starvation-like mode?

How does it all start?

Typically, glucose is the major energy provider to the body.  Fats can be a precursor to glucose, and ample amounts of them in the body lead to proper function and metabolism.  When one is in starvation mode, the liver is the first to sense this.  Because the body is unable to convert fats into glucose, it biochemically makes a shift to harness more of its energy from ketone bodies in order to save the muscles from deterioration via protein breakdown.

And the downward spiral begins

This switch to the use of ketone bodies is also vital to supplying energy to the brain cells, which is a top metabolic focus for the body no matter its state. In this protection mode, and use of a new fuel source by the brain, blood glucose levels drop dramatically.  This way of living will continue until all fatty acid energy stores have been used up.  Metabolic function will switch from using ketone bodies to its last

resort of proteins for energy.  Final stages of starvation such as these can result in heart arrhythmia, liver failure , and a discontinuation of muscle functioning, ultimately leading to death.

What would you do for a million dollars?

So, when a Sole Survivor is picked at the end of 39 days, what sort of condition are they in?  Although perhaps a few sizes smaller, the contestants will not have reached a true starvation mode due to the time frame of the show and availability of some food for nourishment.  Although they can do it, it’s definitely not recommended unless you’re playing for the million dollar prize!

Cramming: A Student’s Best Friend? March 4, 2011

Posted by ljsteele in Behavior, Biology, Chemistry, Health, Medicine, Science & Culture, Uncategorized.
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The night flies by…

As a senior undergraduate student, slowly over the past four years I have realized the importance of cramming before a test. Simply put, by this stage in my academic career, it has become routine to stay up all night before a test to study.  In classes where there are multiple choice tests, it appears to be easier to stay up all night cramming, as is the belief that if you at least can recognize the question, ruling out the different choices for the answer becomes quite simple.  It has been shown that over a third of students cram the night before a test.

Equal Justice?

However, although many students utilize the practice of cramming, whether or not it helps students is up for debate. There are different levels of cramming, and each appear to cause different results when it comes to grades and GPA.  The issue that is starting to be seen is that although cramming may help in terms of short term memory, the retention of that information weeks after the course ends seems to be up in the air.  Of course, when cramming is being utilized, it only makes sense that the information storage would be contained in the frontal lobe of the brain, while long term memory, which would be associated with studying that has taken place over numerous days or weeks, would be stored over multiple parts of the brain.

Green highlighted area represents the frontal lobe of the brain

Many different universities have brought to light the health implications that one may bring upon him or herself when cramming. But, it is also shown that certain periods of acute stress are positive for the human body, which cramming would appear to fall under the category of acute stress. During acute stress, the body increases its fight or flight response (epinephrine and norepinephrine), shuts down digestion, reproductive systems, and boosts metabolism. Vasoconstriction and vasodilation also take place, therefore pumping blood into certain areas of the body and brain that during a normal day’s activities may not get stimulated very often.  Especially during the fight or flight response, one becomes more attentive, which would seem to help with say, studying for a huge test.

Are there more effects than just retaining information?

Although cramming may not be ideal for certain people, research needs to continue in terms of stress and cramming, and even learning styles.  Certain people are exposed to more stress than others, so possibly stress levels are compromised, leading to a decreased ability to study and cram the night before a test.  Students continue to cram because results are obtained on tests and finals.  Quite possibly cramming could do more than just get a student a good grade on a test-it could also help to train the body for different stress activities that otherwise may not be achieved.


Healing a “Broken” Heart March 4, 2011

Posted by Kyle in Biology, Chemistry, Health, Medicine, Physiology.
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Irreparable Harm

The majority of those reading this have probably experienced some sort of injury in their lifetime.  Injuries such as cuts and broken bones will soon heal with proper care, but there are certain tissues that if damaged, cannot repair themselves. Heart tissue and brain tissue are two examples that come to mind. This may be the case for most of us adult humans, but new research out of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is pointing out that some newborn mammals have the ability to heal completely when it comes to heart damage. The only problem is, at some point along the line, as we age, the heart loses this ability to heal itself. Still, this is a very important discovery for a society that suffers greatly from heart disease, which kills thousands of Americans every year.

Studying a Broken Heart

Researchers found that in newborn mice, when sections of heart were removed, the heart had completely healed within three weeks. The hearts then functioned as normal with no signs of damage. Understanding how this works and why the heart stops doing it after a certain amount of time is now the next step for researchers. Unlike when you tear a hamstring, damage to cardiac tissue after a heart attack doesn’t just heal with time. So for those who suffer from heart problems, a discovery like this brings them one step closer to a healthy heart in the future.

Of Mice & Men

Obviously mice, which help us a lot more than most people realize, and humans are a little different from each other, but seeing results like this in another mammal is still promising. If nothing else, it is definitely a huge step in the right direction for researchers looking to cut down on the number of heart related deaths. For now though, it is important for people to remember that they only have one heart, and taking care of it should be a priority.