Grace+Loten

=__Extremely Rare Genetic Disorder- Progeria__=

Entry # 1 Dec 16th, 2012

I was looking for some form of cool genetic disorder that I have never heard of before, luckily I found it. The extremely rare genetic disorder- Progeria and it is caused by a single tiny defect in a child's genetic code. Progeria is an aging disorder,when a child is born they aged 8 times faster then the normal, it's basically like Benjamin Button, expect they don't ever get younger they will just die in an old body but at a young age. On average, a child born with this disease will be dead by the age of 13.



yo yo yo i be in bio:)

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It has horrible life-changing consequences. As they see their bodies fast forward through the normal process of aging they develop striking physical symptoms, often including premature baldness, heart disease, thinning bones and arthritis. Progeria is really rare, there are only around 83 people living with it in the whole world. When I first read this I thought to myself well, that would really suck. But after I watched I really realized how bad they have it, I felt so awful, it is truly devastating what these kids have to go through!

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It usually is not passed down through families. Rarely is it seen in more than one child in a family. This is how one gets Prgeria, bellow is a chart describing the process during coding the genes.


 * ~ Steps in normal cell ||~ Steps in cell with progeria ||
 * The gene [|LMNA] encodes a protein called prelamin A. || The gene LMNA encodes a protein called prelamin A. ||
 * Prelamin A has a farnesyl group attached to its end. || Prelamin A has a farnesyl group attached to its end. ||
 * Farnesyl group is //removed// from prelamin A. || Farnesyl group remains //attached// to prelamin A. ||
 * Normal form is called **prelamin A**. || Abnormal form of prelamin A is called **[|progerin]**. ||
 * Prelamin A is not anchored to the nuclear rim. || Progerin is anchored to the nuclear rim. ||
 * Normal state of the nucleus. || Abnormally shaped nucleus. ||

It's also so bizarre that one single mess up can practically ruin the child's entire life, but I guess that's all part of the genetic coding process. But it's sad to think that they can't really enjoy their childhood like a normal child can, because they have to worry about health problems or their bodies are just too week to function.

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**__Sources__**

 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progeria
 * http://www.oddee.com/item_84847.aspx
 * http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002622/

=//__Schizophrenia (The Nervous System)__//=

Entry #2
Jan 5th

In case you didn't know, Schizophrenia is a

major mental illness that causes changes in perception, thoughts and behaviour. Loss

of important functions associated with this piece of the greater nervous system

box is found in these people. This picture is kind of funny but at the same

time exactly what is going throught the mind of a schizophranic person.

Worldwide schizophrenia is present in two to four people per 1000 of the population at any one time. One in 100 people will develop schizophrenia in their lifetime.
Watch this video mind blowing!

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There is no 'gene for schizophrenia' but a family history of the illness increases the risk of being affected:
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After readinthrough a few sites I found that "schizophrenia is associated with an unusual imbalance of neurotransmitters" (chemical messengers between nerve cells) and other brain chemicals, like dopamine overactivity, glutamate, reelin, and others. But they still don't know if any changes from those chemicals in the brain can actually cause or triger schizophrenia. So basically the still are really unsure of the disease and how it comes to be.



"Abnormalities in brain structure are also reflected in the disrupted connections between nerve cells that are observed in schizophrenia." (I thought that this was an important piece of info that shouldn't be reworded) Things like miss-wiring could stop the information processing mental conjunctions. For example, auditory hallucinations could happen because of the miss-wiring in the circuits that control speech. A few sites I found said that there is strong evidence that schizophrenia has something to do with not enough communication between the left and right sides of the brain. But then again they aren’t too sure of it themselves, so....



I found this picture online but I'm not quite sure what it means but it looks as though there is more problems going on in the brain of a schizophrenic. It looked cool.

These are the most common symptoms for those with the disease:


 * ===Delusions===
 * ===Hallucinations===
 * ===Disordered thinking===
 * ===Emotional unresponsiveness===

Check it out yourself-
===Here are a few isite that may be interesting to you guys that are about other brain disorders, you may want to take a look, you never know maybe you or someone in your family has some of these other brain disorers.===

__Sources:__

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__Evolution and how it made sense of a Mythical Monster__ Entry #3 Jan 13th, 2013 It was really hard for me to find a good subject on evolution because; straight up it was kind of boring (the topic of course, not the teaching) So after hours of researching for a topic I found this interesting article about "How Evolution Made a Mythical Monster" and that monster is called the Chupacabra. Here's a little video that'll explain the mythical monster. (P.S: you may want to fast forward it a little don't watch the last 2 mins of it.)

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So apparently there were tales of a mysterious monster that sucks the blood of livestock in Mexico, the U.S. Southwest, and even China since the mid 1990's and that’s about the time when the chupacabra, or chupacabras, was first reported in Puerto Rico. This is a picture the monster:

Now scientists say they can explain the stories with the help of evolutionary theory.
 * Kind of a creapy thing really...**

The flesh and blood of the “Chupacabras” have allegedly been found,(the people who have reported the attacks claim that this is supposedly the Chupacabra’s corpse. )



They studied the few Chupacabra corpses they had and in almost all these cases the "monsters" turned out to be coyotes suffering from very severe cases of mange; a painful, potentially fatal skin disease that can cause the animals' hair to fall out and skin to shrivel, among other symptoms. (Don't worry I'm getting to the evolution part soon)

So now what?

===The University of Michigan's OConnor says that the mite passed from humans to domestic dogs, and then on to coyotes, foxes, and wolves in the wild. He goes onto say that that humans and other primates have lived with the //Sarcoptes// mite for much of their evolutionary history, while other animals have not.===

Since chupacabras are likely mangy coyotes, this explains why the creatures are often reported attacking livestock. Bellow is another picture of a dead Chupacabra.
Funny how with the knowlegde of simple evolution one can find the truth behind something as silly as a little scary myth.

Maybe there truly is a Chupacabra but National Geographic's has disproved these flase monsters with the help of evolution. But in the mean time keep your livestock safe and secure in the barn.

Want more check it out yourself:

-[] Shows you more interesting stories on evolution.

-[] The story behind the picture above of the women who found the chupacabra's corpse.

-[] Another explanation of the Chupacabra.

Sources: [] []