Let's plant some stem.... cells!

Yep... That cartoon is just one example of an opinion among many others, concerning the controversy that encircles stem cell research... Ok so what exactly makes stem cell research "controversial?" Well before I get into that I did some investigating about the basics of stem cells and how it develops in the human body:

1. Stem cells are formed in the bone marrow and are undifferentiated, meaning they can become any type of cell that the body needs in order for it to survive and continue living without complications.
2. Stem cells can either be embryonic or non-embryonic (adult) cells.
3. Embryonic cells will develop on to become a fetus. The embryo is the union of an egg and sperm cell, later develop into a fetus.
4. Non-embryonic (adult) cells are repairable and found in both children and adults.
5. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is the destruction of the embryonic cell and is performed in laboratories. Instead of continuing in the womb, the embryo that is 3-5 days old, is taken from the mother (with consent from the couple, or mother) and cultured in the lab to commence the study.

Below is an image of the manipulation of an embryonic stem cell in a research lab... This is the most focused stem cell research and the one that poses much controversy in society. The reason why researchers focus on this study particularly, is because the embryonic cell has the potential to become any cell in the body that can provide cure, if researchers find a way...

Perhaps the main cause of the controversy that surrounds stem cell research, is the varying opinions about where life begins... Opponents argue that the embryonic stage (the mere fusion of egg and sperm cells) should already be considered as the start of life and tampering with that, is posing harm to the "person." Supporters of the research, on the other hand, argue against it. They believe there is no harm being done since it is still too early in the development for it to be considered a real human being.


So where should we stand? Now that we have been making progress not only on technological development, but also in medical advancement? Are we going on the right direction here? There are still research out there hoping to find a cure. Should we still persist? Or should we not resist the degeneration of life as it presents to us? There have been more questions now than ever before. Is that a good thing? Where do you think we are headed in terms of curing diseases?

Below is a neat image that illustrates the potential benefits of stem cell research to the ailments of the human body...

Please voice your opinions in a comment down below! Thank you! 

The Science Behind Addiction

Why does addiction exist? Why do people get addicted? Well just like any external experiences we go through,  there are scientific and biological explanations that can help demystify such occurrence. So let's dive right in!

It is a common fact of life that people are exposed to different stresses and worries everyday. And often times, people medicate with drugs and harmful substances to cope. Drugs like alcohol and marijuana have chemical substances that not only suppresses the pain associated with our stress, but most importantly provide a shortcut to the brain's reward system or pleasure center by flooding the Nucleus Accumbens in the brain with high and intense doses of a satisfying chemical, called dopamine. This chemical is associated with euphoric feelings we experience such as having sex, eating your guilty-pleasure food, gambling and shopping.

Below is an image illustrating the brain's Reward Center:
Nuclues Accumbens - highly related to addiction because of drug's effect of high release of dopamine

Click on image to expand

Dopamine is a double-edged sword because not only does it make drugs feel good ("getting high") but it also plays a role in learning and memory- which is a crucial element in learning to like something to learning to become addicted to the same thing.

Chemical Structure of Dopamine

But don't fret, just like your brain learns how to become addicted to shopping or alcohol, it can learn to get away from that as well over time. As mentioned, drugs are addictive because they can intensify the doses of dopamine from 2 to 10x as much in the brain. But over time, the brain can be overwhelmed, which means producing less dopamine or eliminating dopamine receptors. People with addiction, over time, have to take even stronger doses of their drug because they have developed a level of tolerance.

I found a diagram that illustrates the different brain structures and the behaviors associated with it, all from the perspective of dopamine receptors!

Addiction is a tricky thing. We possess biological characteristics that can interact with substances, that may not be harmful by itself, but coupled with the chemicals in our brain can become harmful to us, because of a strong chemical reaction. We, often times, do not know what we are capable of. And that lack of awareness of ourselves, in return, can be the gateway to our own addiction and abuse.

Maintaing Life with Sodium and Potassium

If you recall in our text, there is always a chemical imbalance in and out of the cell membrane, with the inside of the cell being negatively charged. Imagine if it were the other way around. Instead of an imbalance, there was an equality of ion concentrations in between membranes, then there would be no need for any action potential to happen! It is precisely the imbalance, thus the constant exchange of ions (Na and K) between cellular membranes that allows to trigger pathways that will then translate into a message that the rest of our body can understand.... Whether that message be sent to your brain in order for it to think or remember something, or to the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body, or even to sense hot or cold through the sensory nerve from fingers.  

MAIN IDEA: Sodium-potassium pumps are what pull potassium into cells and push sodium out to create a chemical battery that drives the transmission of signals along nerves and powers the contraction of muscles. 

So you then might wonder, what if suddenly there was a higher number of sodium than potassium or vice versa… Healthy individuals should consume lesser sodium, and more potassium. However, as you guys may know, Americans today consume more sodium than potassium. Yikes! Well how much exactly you might ask? 

For sodium, an average American consumes around 2,500 and 7,500 mg a day, far more than what is needed, which is 200 mg! It's a different scenario for potassium, sadly. We average 2,500 mg a day, about half of the 4,700 mg minimum recommended for adults. This is really bad. We need more potassium in order to flush out wastes and toxins in the body, as well as provide energy for cellular respiration and activity. Lowering sodium intake is the way to go for a healthy life. 

In case you wanted to improve your diet or lifestyle choice, I have included a diagram below that shows several foods you should avoid that you might be consuming in excess! 

The image below shows a typical healthy individual's serving of each food group! Notice you should eat a lot of pasta, grains and cereals! I found that interesting. I thought bread and pasta were technically bad! 

So now I want to know if you might re-consider your diet after reading through this post? Has this helped you in some way? How do you understand the sodium-potassium pump in the cellular membranes? I would like to know in a comment!  

***** Oh and P.S. if you want to calculate how much of each food group (grains, pastas, sugar, salt, dairy, etc) you should consume as an individual... Go check, choosemyplate.gov! *****