Anhedonia: Depression, Addiction, and Schizophrenia.

You must be thinking what the fuck is Anhedonia? To put it simply, its the lack of dopamine that is being produced in the brain. In many cases, animals and people don’t produce enough dopamine so they would lose interest in food, favorite activities, and etc.

Dopamine is a pleasure chemical in the brain that makes us give our attention to things that give us pleasure. Its the reason why people are addicted to drugs, sugar, and smokeing. These things just produce a bunch of dopamine that makes us run back to these habits.

But what does this have to do with schizophrenia and depression? Well as you recall, Anhedonia is the lack of dopamine. Which means people with depression in lack of the right chemicals to produce dopamine and therefore are sad and people with schizophrenia have no ability to produce dopamine which produces the lack of controlling a few motor functions and causes uncontrollable tremors.

Dopamine is essentially the key function for well functioning normally, but too much dopamine can create life threating habits. So how do we get in the middle? Well, sadly if you have schizophrenia or depression it’s a disease that has to be treated with medical advice. Medications won’t solve these cases but it will sure help. Secondly, Addictions are pure willpower to overcome. It’s a daily thing to take our life back.

In all honesty, living a healthy life where you are working out, drinking a shit ton of water, and indulging less on the things that kill us are the key to a healthier life. Some of us are lucky and some of us are a little bit less fortunate than others. The ones who are lucky better appreciate the good health and the other who are less can learn valuable life-changing things through their journey. Remember life screws us all, but if we can keep moving and think for a better future you already have the potential to beat the odds.

Top 3 Deadliest Active Volcanoes ATM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%ABlauea

If you have been keeping up with the news you may have seen the destructive path of Hawaii’s Kilauea activity. Kilauea, also known to be a mythological goddess as “Pele” to many locals as being a respected goddess, but she may also show her fiery to with lava and fire if disrespected. But recently Kilauea’s activity has been destroying many of the local homes, decreasing tourist attraction, which is affecting the island’s economy and making many locals evacuate the affected area.

Image Link

A similar event has taken place in Guatemala’s Fuego volcano. With a death count of 72 people, the devastating explosion has left an environment in hellish conditions for the locals who are going through this ongoing natural disaster. Causing at least 192 people missing because of towns are affected the toxic fumes and volcanic ash that fill the air. Even more threating, Sergio Cabañas, the executive secretary of Guatemala’s National Coordination for Disaster Reduction has mentioned that the volcano may still pose a threat and have another devastating eruption.

#PNCProtegerYServir

De esta manera nuestros valientes elementos de Policía Nacional Civil rescatan a una bebé, luego que el #VolcánDeFuego hiciera erupción. pic.twitter.com/leoviIMPL1

— PNC de Guatemala (@PNCdeGuatemala) June 4, 2018

Thirdly, what could possibly be the next eruption place? Recent activity in Indonesia may have the potential to be fatal. Mount Agung, has actually already erupted leaving 80,000 travelers stranded from the volcanic ash from international traveling. The eruption is the first in 50 years and could pose more possible threats. With already 100,000 locals evacuating a 6-mile radius from the volcano.

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2017/11/30/16-malaysian-students-return-home-over-bali-volcano-threat

It’s no coincidence all these natural disasters are taking place. I don’t believe in apocalyptic times, but we are definitely experiencing more volcanic natural disasters that are causing havoc. It’s time we come together and help one another as humans beings and set aside our differences.

References:

Here’s a look at the world’s deadliest volcanoes — and the ways they kill

https://www.trails.com/facts_10679_mauna-loa-kilauea-volcanoes-hawaii.html

http://www.theweek.co.uk/mount-agung/90025/mount-agung-volcano-80000-stranded-as-bali-airport-shut

Telomeres: Foundation for the Fountain of Youth

 

https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=16026&picture=fountain-and-lily-pads

Recent articles have been all around the internet promoting the breakthrough for the concept of telomeres and their mechanism of cells longevity. If you remember back in high school when we learned about genes and genomes you’ll possibly remember that telomeres are a huge magnitude of repeating DNA sequences that help prevent chromosomes’ base pairs from disintegration. Their essentially the little ends of the chromosomes.

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Furthermore, telomerase is an enzyme that is also called telomere terminal transferase and elongates the ending sequences of chromosomes and therefore making cells an “immortal cell”, which is a theory on the methods of research in aging and cancer. Typically telomerase is barely active during a person’s lifespan. Usually more present in fetal tissues, adult germ cells, and tumor cells.

So we get it, this stuff has the ability to prolong our life but how do we implement the use of this knowledge in today’s age. Well, the truth is we don’t know for sure if telomerase is the path to dipping our feet in the fountain of youth since these enzymes can make cancer cells even more powerful. So it would be counterproductive to live forever if we are also living with cancer and a list of illness that making living horrible.

All I know undoubtedly is that we need to cut habits that shorten our telomeres.  Simple changes like quitting smoking, dieting, exercising and focusing on destressing would prolong our lives. These are the keys to a healthier life but don’t give up on the idea of living forever because we just need more time to study these phenomena. Who knows in the next decade we could possibly have figured out if these things are just a myth or reality.

Other related articles:

Hallmarks of Aging – Role of Glycation Part 3: Telomere Telomerase Dysregulation

What consumer DNA data can and can’t tell you about your risk for certain diseases

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-this-dna-test-help-predict-your-longevity

Growing Limbs, Science Fiction or Reality?

The human body is a mortal capsule of finite regeneration that coexists with a complex system of organs that makes living possible. Let’s sidetrack for a moment and look at our friendly neighborhood gecko who has similar abilities of my favorite super anti-hero Deadpool. No, it’s not the deadly gun slinging, potty mouth, sword-wielding ability, which would be mind-blowing to see a gecko do. Rather it is the power of regeneration. To think these reptilians have evolved to the point of being able to bring stem cells to the inflicted decapitated limb and only over several weeks to months – wala! A brand new spanking tail. As technology expands, the idea of a having a real life “Weapon X” is closer then we think!

Gif link address: https://gifimage.net/deadpool-tiny-hand-gif-4/

Astounding isn’t it? More varied wildlife species are being studied to figure out this process. In this particular case, scientists have discovered that scar tissues cells are not formed in these little critters. In human cases, we form scar tissue to prevent inflammation and to help us heal inflicted wounds instead of regenerating the same cells that were destroyed. Why is that? Well, the answer is we stopped creating these cells called radial glial cells, which is a type of stem cell that was only abundant during the fetus stage of life. Additionally, in geckos’ healing process they don’t need scar tissue because they’re just so badass they blood clot quickly and grow new limbs. For more information on this article, it can be read here.

You must be sitting in your chair drinking your mocha frappuccino while wearing your “Big Bang Theory” shirt saying, “Well dur dur, who didn’t know that stem cells were the answer”. Well smartypants, if that didn’t blow your noggin then have you heard of the good news? I’m not talking about our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. I’m talking about 3D printing. Yes, 3D printing! Scientists have started 3D printing “miniorgans” according to this recent article. These organs are as tiny as 1.2-5 centimeter long. To be more precise, the organ is intestinal tissues grown from human stem cells that are compressed inside gelatin capsules.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-08-lab-made-mini-doctors-cystic-fibrosis.html

To conclude, we’ll probably never be able to regrow organs and limbs on command or innately. But on the other hand, we’re getting closer to farming and harvesting any possible human appendages that we desire. The only questions I have left are, “where are these stem cell being harvested from?”, “is it ethical to grow human organs in intelligent animals for human life?”, and “would our DNA change and create new mutations that might be deadly?”. Hopefully, we’ll master time traveling before regeneration and be able to find out sooner than expected. Until then, let us keep hoping for that breakthrough.

Birth

Welcome to the birth of SciBrum! A domain of free-thinking on the intellectual aspects of life through a blog style expression. Technology, biology, current news and all your favorite nerdy topics will be explored through the eyes of an undergrad UCF student who loves to learn profound ideas.