Essays on Acetylcholine

Introduction: Smoking is a learned habit that has existed in the society for long. This allows us to understand how the habit affects health and wellbeing both in the short term and in the long term. This injurious habit of smoking has taken a commonplace in our culture. Tobacco, the key ingredient in cigarettes, is the leading cause of avoidable illness in the world. A person who smokes 2 packs of cigarette per day, spends ~ 3-4 hours per day on smoking and inhales 1000mg of tar each day. The health care cost is several times higher for smokers when ...

A neuron is a specialized type of cell that helps in impulse conduction in the body. It is a basic unit of communication in the body. It receives and initiates the information reception and transmission to all parts of the body. The structure of the neuron is made of several parts that include dendrites, Soma (cell body), nucleus, cell membrane, axon, myelin sheath, a node of Ranvier and terminal Buttons or axon terminal (Marieb, 2004). The figure below shows the structure of the neuron. Figure 1: structure of neuron (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2010). For neural impulse to occur, the stimulus ...

Influence of Temperature and Neurotransmitters on Heart Rate in crayfish

TA for the Experiment: Introduction The cardiovascular system achieves key physiological functions in animals. Particularly, crayfish (Procambarus clarkia), also known as freshwater lobster, have been used to study physiological processes. This is because it is easier to study them in this species than in any other organism. In Crayfish, the circulatory system is open. Blood moves from the heart through the arteries and goes back through the open sinuses. Their heart is located in the cephalotorax, in front of the first abdominal segment, in the dorsal portion. Basic heart rate beat and rhythm in adult crustaceans depends on a ...

What is Alpha GPC?

Alpha GPC is known by various chemical names, including “L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine.” It is described as a form of choline, a naturally occurring chemical in human cells and in other substances (Richards 2013).

It is said to be a nootropic substance, meaning that it affects the mind, in the specific sense that it enhances mental performance, and can have an effect on the memory function (“What is the Definition of a Nootropic Substance?” 2013-14).

How does Alpha GPC work?

It is claimed that it increases mental capabilities including memory and has cognitive benefits, too, by contributing to the process of forming acetylcholine neurotransmitters – crucial elements in the functionality of ...

The Brain is the most mysterious organ in the human body. Even the slightest change in its functional anatomy and physiology results in serious manifestations. The statistics clearly shows that almost 25 million people suffer from dementia worldwide (Ballard et al., 2011). Dementia has many forms out of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form. This is one of the most serious and progressive diseases affecting the human brain. Mostly, it is found in people of age over 65 years.

The population affected in this disease includes persons above the age of 65 years (5% to 15%). ...

Botulinum toxin is a chemical toxin that is formed by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This toxin affects the neurons and is considered as one of the most poisonous biological substances. It works by preventing the release of neurotransmitters particularly acetylcholine from the endings of the motor neurons (Nigam & Nigam, 2010). Botulinum toxin can easily be absorbed from mucous membranes, eyes, non-intact skin, or respiratory tract. Blood is not found to cause metabolism or change the bioavailability of the toxin. The toxin remains unmodified and affects the nerve endings in the same condition. Researchers have found that the elimination ...

When a muscle is stimulated, do all motor units fire? Why, or why not?

Not all motor units fire when a muscle is activated. This is because in the reflex, not all motor units are activated (Brown et al, 2006).

1b). Explain how the force of contraction changes with recruitment.

The force of contraction depends on the activation of muscle fibers. When more motor fibers are recruited, a greater contraction force results (Zatsiorsky & Kraemer, 2006). The stimulation of the smallest muscles such as the slow twitch fibers result from the recruitment of the smallest motor nerves which, occurs first (Zatsiorsky & Kraemer, 2006).

1c). with continues recruitment, is there a point at which there is ...

Psychology

The retina is one of most important part of the eye and among the most affected part as the person ages. It is apparent that every measure of visual functionality declines as the age increases (Salvi, Akhbar and Currie 2006). Given the increase in socioeconomic relevance of rapid assimilation information particularly the visually communicated information, visual impairment constitutes severe problem to the person in functioning productively in its environment. By definition, the eye retina is the sensitive layer located at the back of the eye, which covers about 65% of the eye’s interior surface (hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu, N.D.).

It is ...

Introduction

The simulated experiment of the practical is about the addition of agonists and antagonists on a guinea pig ileum and observing the effect of these agonists and antagonists on the ileum. This experiment is carried out with an aim to determine the effects of different concentrations of agonists and antagonists on the ileum of a guinea pig. In this experiment the type of data that are to be collected include the traces of acetycholine in the guinea pig ileum on addition of different concentrations of matropine. The expected values of the experiment are that the contraction of the ileum to change ...

Introduction

The immunological disorders in an individual can occur due to three different reasons. This includes immunological diseases in an immunocompromised individual, or “autoimmune diseases”, or finally an immunological hypersensitivity that can lead to tissue damage.

Immunodeficiency diseases

Immunodeficiency diseases occur due to malfunctioning of the organs or cells in an individual. They are further classified as primary immunodeficiency (PID) and secondary immunodeficiency (SID).

Primary immunodeficiency disease

They occur when there is a direct defect in the immune system. They are further classified into eight groups depending upon the site of the defect. Combined T and B deficiencies. Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) is an excellent ...

2. Neurodegenerative disease resulting in mental and intellectual decline (alz.org). 3. Most common cause of dementia and progressively worsens leading to patient’s death. 4. Symptoms a. Memory loss (alz.org). b. Inability to solve daily tasks and problems c.Confusion about place and time d. Depression and social withdrawal - Causes of AD - i. Presence of Amyloid peptide oligomers and neurofibrillary tangles that result in damage and death of neurons.(Gravitz, 2011) ii. Inherent Genetic predisposition. (APOE) allele 4, GSK3 and TREM2 are part of gene clusters associated with AD ( ...

What is nicotine?

Tobacco that basically comes from the plant known as nicotiana tabacum has been utilized for many years. It can be chewed, sniffed, or smoked. The initial depiction of tobacco addiction is contained in a New World report in which Spanish armed forces said that they were unable to quit smoking. Initially, nicotine was being used as an insecticide with its analogs still being used as insecticides currently (Yamamoto & Casida, 1999). When isolation of nicotine from tobacco leaves was performed in the year 1828, scientists started researching its impacts on the body as well as brain. This research ultimately demonstrated ...

Abstract

There are numerous factors both external and internal that can influence the quality and quantity of sleep. These factors are what lead people to use sleeping aids in order to develop sleep. This research paper therefore aims at identifying various ways in which sleeping aids hamper and impair daytime thinking and daydreaming among individuals.

Introduction

Day thinking and day dreams are those fountain spurting, spilling eccentric thoughts into a stream of consciousness. They result from one lacking enough sleep especially night and when this form a habit, these persons go for medication from the doctor and they are prescribed sleeping pills to ...

Question 1

The cerebellum is an essential part of the neuromuscular system in that it plays major roles in the timing of muscular activities and the smooth progression of one muscular movement to the next. The summary of how this is done is that it sequences all the muscular activities necessary for a particular movement, and then makes corrective adjustments as necessary when the movement is being executed so that they conform to the motor impulses being generated by the cerebral cortex and other significant parts of the central nervous system (Ganong, 2005). For instance, for an individual holding a cup and ...

Warfarin as used in medicine

Warfarin is a drug that serves as an anticoagulant; it is most commonly used in the medical field to prevent thrombosis which is the formation of blood clots and thromboembolism which is the migration of these clots to other parts of the body. It is also used in the management of deep vein thrombosis, arterial fibriation and pulmonary embolism.[1] This drug is a derivative of dicoumarol a 4-hydroxycoumarin-derived mycotoxin anticoagulant that was discovered in spoiled animal feeds that are made using sweet clover.[2] The recommended dosage is 10mg of warfarin for urgent anticoagulation, after that a maintenance dosage of 5mg ...

Neurotransmitters are biochemical substances that carry the information between the body and the brain. They transmit neuronal signals that are necessary to inform the brain on which functions to carry out through networks of neurons called synapses (Boeree, 2009). The neurotransmitters may be inhibitory or excitatory. The excitatory neurotransmitters are those that cause the brain to perform certain physiological functions while the inhibitory neurotransmitters bring balance to these functions that are designed to suppress or inhibit them (Neurogistics, 2013). The functions of the neurotransmitters in the body are significant as the neuronal signals transmitted by them influence bodily ...

Alzheimer's disease

How would you react when you notice that your grandfather starts to do the weirdest things ever such as forgetting the name of common objects, putting his fragrances inside of the kitchen’s cabinets and even blaming you for taking his sacks. Wouldn’t you feel sad if he doesn’t recognize who you are? Would you think that is normal for a person of his age? If your answer is yes, that means that you like many people misinterpret memory loss in seniors with the Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, ...

- Some individuals are born with a hole between the two sides of their heart this means that blood can mix between the left and right sides of the heart. Explain why this is a problem and types of symptoms this person might exhibit? The problem with hole between the two sides is the mixing of the blood, which then raises the pressure in the lungs. The result is that there is reduced oxygen in the blood that goes into the body. Symptoms may include difficulty in breathing, short breath and respiratory infections in children. - Cholesterol can build ...

Quit Smoking

Many smokers find it hard to quit smoking because many parts of the brain function in a way that reinforces smoking (Noonan, 2011). In particular, nicotine, which is the cigarette’s main active component, “acts on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain” (Noonan, 2011) where the absence of nicotine would cause increased appetite, lack of attention, difficulty in sleeping, irritability, and a craving for cigarettes.

These nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are present in the neurons that are responsible for releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine from the VTA (ventral tegnantal area) into the NAc (nucleus accunbens) where the pathway that the dopamine passes through ...

Background

Asthma is a chronic disease associated with inflammation of the lining of airway and obstruction of lung airflow. It usually involves an increase in the number of inflammatory cells, most commonly eosinophils and to some extent basophils, mast cells, macrophages. (Eds. Brunton, et al., 2009) Asthma, together with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), is considered as one ofthe most common obstructive lung diseases characterized by expiratory airflow obstruction. (eds. Longo, et al., 2012) An asthmatic patient usually presents with recurrent events of shortness of bright (SOB), chest tightness, and wheezing, “a high-pitched whistling sound when breathing caused by movement of ...

An investigation into the cholinergic receptor control of gastric muscle activity through the action of neurotransmitters

Introduction Different types of neurotransmitters have different effects on the activity of the smooth muscle. Neurotransmitters exert their effects on smooth muscle through binding to different types of neurotransmitter receptors present in smooth muscles. Smooth muscles are involuntary muscles in the body that do not have the ability of controlling their own movements. Smooth muscles are unstriated because they lack the visible cross striations available in other types of muscles like the skeletal muscles (KCUMB, 2012). Smooth muscles are small in diameter 2-10mm. The muscle fibers that make the single unit muscle are complied together into sheets. ...

Myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of antibodies, which are directed against nicotinic acetylcholine postsynaptic receptors located at the neuromuscular junction. This leads to a gradual decrease in the number of acetylcholine receptors at the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction. There are two different variants of myasthenia gravis, which include the ocular myasthenia gravis and the generalized form of myasthenia gravis. The result of the reduction in the number of acetylcholine receptors lead to a concomitant reduction in the muscle strength (Paul, 2000). However, there is recovery of the muscle strength resting it for some time (Kulkantrakon & Jarungkiatkul, 2010), ( ...

Alzheimer's disease

Undeniably, a number of people at one stage in their lives experience mental health problems. Often, mental illnesses are purported to be forms of intellectual disabilities while, in the real sense, they are illnesses just like any other, such as tuberculosis. Health problems, affecting a person’s behaviour, feelings, and mutual interaction with others are what constitute a mental illness. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the common forms of mental illnesses, which affects the brain and causes thinking, memory and behavioural problems (George, 2006). The disease is usually diagnosed amongst the elderly i.e. Persons aged above sixty-five years, although it does ...

Abstract

Depression refers to a mental condition that is characterized by several symptoms that include but are not limited to: lethargy, isolation, prolonged periods of sadness, sudden emotional outburst such as crying for no particular reason, bouts of rage, self destructive tendencies such as cutting or biting, anxiety, paranoia, loss of appetite or unusual increase in appetite characterized by binge eating, insomnia and hostility. Recent estimates indicate that 1 out of every 10 individuals in the United States in termed as clinically depressed. The study also found that those likely to e depressed are: persons without any source of income, those ...

Introduction

Learning and memory constitute a very important aspect of person’s life. They determine the kind of life a person has to live. However, because it is the brain which initiate these processes, then it means that learning and memory is just but a function of the state of the brain. In other words, if the brain were normal, then the learning process would take place normally. Hence, alteration of the normal state of the brain may result in alteration of the learning process (MacLeod, 2010, p.227). Although several researches concerning the brain have been done, no specific is meant to ...

Introduction

Learning and memory constitute a very important aspect of person’s life. They determine the kind of life a person has to live. However, because it is the brain which initiate these processes, then it means that learning and memory is just but a function of the state of the brain. In other words, if the brain is normal, then the learning process would take place normally. Hence, alteration of the normal state of the brain may result in alteration of the learning process. Although several researches concerning the brain have been done, there is no specific research that is meant ...

Introduction

Cardiovascular physiology involves the study of the circulatory system. It addresses more specifically the physiology of the heart and blood vessels hence the name cardio and vascular. Rabbits are generally nervous and non-aggressive and sociable with each other. In this laboratory, the primary experimental variables were the heart rate and arterial blood pressure. The main goal of this laboratory was to investigate the effects of different hormones on the rabbit’s blood pressure and heart rate by means of intravenous injections, nerve stimulation and respiratory alterations. We hypothesized that the catecholamines would increase the heart rate and blood pressure ...