HOMEOSTATIC MED4U

Cancer therapies are currently limited to chemotherapy,surgery and radiation. All these methods risk damage to normal tissues or leads to incomplete eradication of cancer. Although,there have been many improvements in cancer treatment,cancer is still quite difficult to treat. Chemotherapy can be difficult for a patient to receive. Medicines are quite strong,and patients undergoing chemotherapy can experience side effects like pain,hair loss,weight loss and tiredness. Suppose we are able to use a special device so that a patient with cancer could get chemotheralc only in cancer cells,without harming his or her healthy cells. Seems to be a good idea rite? This is the goal of researchers who are developing drugs only to the cancer cells.  Nanotechnology provides researchers with the opportunity to study and manipulate macromolecules in real time and during the earliest stages of cancer progression. Nanotechnology can provide rapid and sensitive detection of cancer - related molec...

Lighting can change how likely we are to make pleasurable vs practical decisions. A new study shows that human emotion,whether positive or negative,is felt more intensely under bright light. Other evidence shows that on sunny days,people are more optimistic,report higher well being and are more helpful while extended exposure to dark,gloomy days can result in seasonal affective disorder. Contrary to these results,another study found that on sunny days,depression - prone people actually become more depressed. The majority of our everyday decisions are made mostly under bright light. So putting of the light may help us make more rational decisions or even settle down negotiations more easily.  Some studies have shown that brighter light can intensify emotions,while low light,keeps the emotions steady. Saturation here is the intensity of a colour. More saturated colours can have amplifying effects in emotions,while muted colours can dampen emotions. It has also been proven th...

Spider Man has pretty sweet abilities,but let's take a scientific look to see how well this superhero stacks up to reality. For spider - man to become genetically modified,the spider that bit him would have to release a retrovirus into his body. Retrovirus carry genetic information which gets inserted into the DNA of cells. The cell then reads the new DNA to create specific functions and proteins for that cell. But this retrovirus will have to make it's way to nearly every cell and have the ability to code for new and different functions in each cell. So while it's theoretically possible,it would also be pretty amazing. Silk is actually proportionally stronger and more flexible than steel. Spiderwebs 1/10th the size of a piece of hair are able to catch insects flying upwards to 15 miles an hour. Believe it or not,if a web were an inch thick in diameter,it could actually stop a fighter jet. Some spiders can lift up to 50 times their body weight,this muscle strength is dir...

Indulging in food is a favourite pass time for many. Perhaps,we enjoy food a bit too much. So why can't we stop ourselves from consuming so much fatty and sugary food? How do we beat overeating? When our stomach is empty,it releases a hormone called ghrelin,popularly known as the 'hunger hormone'. Ghrelin interacts in the brain with the neurotransmitter,NPY and turns on the desire to eat. Once we satisfy this desire by eating,ghrelin levels drop down and hunger subsides. Conversely,after eating,a different hormone,leptin,is released from the stomach and fat cells,and interferes with NPY,further turning off the desire to eat,and making us feel full.  But if this hunger regulation system is in place,why can't we say no to a piece of cake,or chips? In the past,as hunter - gatherers,the human body needed to take advantage of fatty and sugary meals for survival,and,as a result,they became extremely desirable. But,in today's world,we can get a high fat and sugary mea...

Dreams are an amazing phenomenon,and considering the fact that we spend roughly one - third of our life sleeping and 6 years of our life dreaming,its quite curious that we often brush them aside to be quickly forgotten. Night after night,our brains still work to bring us some of the most incredible,bizarre,and often,seemingly random imagery and storylines. What are dreams? And like the many science fiction stories or movies,could we record and figure out what we're seeing while we're dreaming? You may have heard people referring to 'brain waves' before,but have you ever stopped to think if these are actual waves,and do they carry information? Are brain waves similar to radio waves? Well,the answer is,yes,both brain and radio waves are forms of electromagnetic radiations - waves that travel at the speed of light. Everytime you think,thousands of neurons fire at the same frequency and generate a wave. These waves oscillate at around 10 to 100 cycles per second. Radi...

You meet a new person,and as you go to shake hands after introducing yourself,you suddenly realise,'Wait,I already forgot their name.' Why does this always happen ? Chances are that you can remember someone's face over their name,our brains are hardwired to recognise facial details. Brain scans even show that individual neurons are fired in response to any given face. But,when it comes to forgetting names,it may have to do with something called the baker effect. If I tell you I'm a baker,provide information about what I do and how I spend my time,but,if I say my name is 'Baker',it has no mental links and is vulnerable to forgetting. After all,names are completely arbitrary and hold no specific information in them. If our brain can't make connections between multiple pieces of information,particularly,things you already know or feel familiar with,then you are more likely to forget that information. Often focusing on introducing yourself,of course,doesn...

There's no denying that human babies are cute,but even other species tend to have adorable infants. So why has science conditioned us to find babies so precious? Studies have found that macaque monkeys pay little attention to newborn faces,leading researchers to believe that the 'cute feeling' may be a human trait entirely.  Unlike many other species,once born,human babies are completely dependant on their parents for survival. As a result,humans have adapted to find certain traits aesthetically pleasing and adorable,in an effort to increase interaction,care and protection from parents. This,in turn,enhances offspring survival,and perpetuates our species. But what exactly makes something/ someone seem cute? Known as Baby Schema,scientists have come up with a set of tested traits that make something appear cute. These include a large rounded head,relative to the body,large eyes below the midline of the face,protruding cheeks,a big forehead,and soft surfaces.  No doubt !...

Whether we're about to write an exam,or attending a competition,we all experience nervousness. But,why do we get nervous? In stressful situations,our brain sends a signal from the pituitary gland,all the way to our kidneys where the adrenal gland resides,and this is where adrenaline is released. We've felt it before - the rapid heart rate,dilating pupils,and increased circulation in our muscles. It's all part of the 'fight or flight' response which developed in our evolutionary history to help us survive. But this response isn't all or nothing,there are degrees of reaction,according to the perceived threat or importance we attach to the outcome. So something like an interview,which presents a challenge,stimulates the same biological reaction that a threat to life does,just to a smaller degree. Feel those nervous butterflies in the stomach? This is because adrenaline helps redirect blood and energy to the most important parts of our body during stress,like t...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but we still seem to accentuate our features with makeup. So what exactly is in makeup products and should we trust these substances? Could makeup actually be bad for us? Ancient Egyptians grind up a mineral substance containing primarily lead sulphide to rim around their eyes,creating a sultry cleopatra look. Little did they know that lead is a potent neurotoxin which can lead to learning and behavioural difficulties in children. Later,creams,lotions and blush containing compounds of the radioactive element,radium were also sold to women,promising a youthful glow,until the harmful effects of exposure to radioactivity was discovered. But makeup has come a long way and now there are only trace amounts of lead found in the products. Lead is found in nature,and is therefore,an unintentional contaminant from the manufacturing industries. Lipstick is about 47% oils,36% pigments,17% waxes and 5% other compounds including preservatives. The oils are pri...

Crying seems like a strange physical response to our emotional turmoil. Why do we start the waterworks when we feel really sad? Well,crying does not only happen when we are emotional,there are actually three types of tears. Basal tears are perpetually lubricating our eyes keeping them from drying out while reflex tears act in response to an irritant like onions or dust. They begin a chain reaction releasing hormones from the brain,which then trigger a tear response from the glands in the eyelids,and these tears help to get rid of the irritant. But how about the tears of sadness? In many cases,emotional tears are able to act as a signal for others to know our genuine sadness or distress. That is not always easy to fake. Our tears blur our vision, especially handicapping any aggressive or defensive actions,sendin those nearby,a sense of appeasement or attachment. This increases communication with those close to us and ultimately our chance of survival. What about tears of joy? Well,perh...

Sanitizers are really handy,especially when soap and water aren't within reach. But can we use them often or should we avoid them all together? Hand sanitizers contain ingredients like alcohol which is often 70% and works to kill the microbes. When left on the skin for 30 seconds or longer,it can kill 99.99% of bacteria present and even certain types of viruses like Influenza A. Sanitizers break open the cell membranes of these bacteria or the biological envelopes of viruses although they're ineffective against spore releasing bacteria. There are also non - alcohol based sanitizers including other ingredients,but depending on their combination,they can just prevent bacterial reproduction. Despite the fact that sanitizer can destroy germs,soap and water actually removes them from the hands and is the superior method of infection control. The temperature of the water also matters. While hot water can kill bacteria,it will only happen at 99.98 degree Celsius which would burn ou...

Pimples always find a way of cropping at the most inconvenient times. But why do pimples occur and how do we get rid of them? We all know that our body is covered with pores. Within the pore is a gland that produces an oily substance called sebum,which empties onto the skin to keep our body moisturised. But if the pore becomes clogged with dead skin cells and oil,a blockage will be created. Sebum will continue to be produced but it will be trapped within the pore making it become enlarged. Now the bacteria might come into play,feeding on the dead cells and sebum which can unfortunately lead to infection. Our immune system responds by sending blood to that area,which gives the appearance of redness and inflammation,and white blood cells will come to the site too to clear up the infection. When the white blood cells die,they along with the dead cells and sebum create the pus filled pimple. If the blockage occurs under the skin,it creates a white bump known as 'whitehead' and if...