Introduction and Biology Kuru is a progressive, fatal, brain disease that was discovered in the 1950s. This disease was discovered by the American Physician Carleton Gajdusek among the people of eastern highlands of New Guinea. Kuru is a disease caused by the consumption of contaminated brain tissue. Kuru is one of a group of rare brain diseases called the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE’s). TSE’s, leads to forming tiny holes in the brain tissue giving it a spongy look. History It
Assertive Secularism vs. Passive Secularism On 15th March 2004, France reopened the debate on the separation of the state and the religion by introducing a legislation to forbid the carrying of signs or clothes that indicate an affiliation to a religious group in the primary, secondary and high schools. (“Respect de la laïcité”) (Parvez 287) The supporters of the legislation, particularly in France saw in this law an implementation of secularism, a cornerstone of the public school system in France
The consumption of humans is an inhumane practice. So why eat people if it's found disgusting in a large majority of the world? In most cases, people eat other people because they are in an "eat or be eaten" situation. An example of an "eat or be eaten" situation would be the Donner Party. Although some people eat people because they need to live, some cultures eat people as part of funeral services, punishments, and other practices. The murder and consumption of people is illegal and frowned upon
Fatal neurodegenerative diseases, such as kuru in humans and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle (commonly known as “mad cow disease”), were shown to be transmitted by prions. This is very interesting because not everyone knows this and believe that everything is just spread through viruses
Bovine Spongiform Encephalophathy Abstract: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is caused by a prion, which is an infectious agent comprised solely of protein. The prion is a degenerate form of a normal cellular protein found in the brain and in nervous tissue. It targets the normal protein and causes the normal protein to change its shape. When enough of the prion is produced, the cell dies and symptoms of the disease are expressed. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known
(Salmonellosis) Symptoms, Causes, Treatment." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Binary Fission (cell Division)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. Vyas, Jatin. "Kuru." New York Times. New York Times, 10 Nov 2012. Web. 13 Apr 2014. . Wagner, Neil . "Treatments for Mad Cow." The Atlantic. N.p., 11 Oct 2011. Web. 13 Apr 2014. .
In Sam Kean’s The Tale of Dueling Neurosurgeons, he uses historical events to explore the brain’s many components and qualities. Exposing that several scientific advancements of the human brain are a result of some gruesome incidents and tragic stories. The title is in reference to two brain doctors from 16th century Europe, Ambroise Paré and Andreas Vesalius who were called upon after King Henri II was pierced through the eye and skull during a joust in 1559. The story is written with Kean being
Prions: Proteinaceous Infectious Particles A Prion is a controversial infectious agent made up of misfolded proteins, which, unlike all other known infectious agents, doesn’t contain any nucleic acids (KJ Ryan 624). Prion molecules are the cause of numerous fatal diseases which attack sensitive neural tissue and are, as to date, virtually untreatable mostly due to inadequate awareness and funding for research (Prusiner). A well-funded focus on Prion research could bring us closer to finding cures
Cannibalism, the nonconsensual consumption of another human's body matter. In the United States there are no laws against cannibalism, but it violates laws against murder and desecration of corpses. Cannibalism is not considered to be a felony, but is socially unacceptable. In some societies, especially tribes, cannibalism is a cultural norm. In most parts of the world cannibalism is not accepted. Although cannibalism can be a controversial top, few people know the psychology behind it. There have
Forensic Anthropology Cannibalism Research Report Cannibalism has long been a topic of interest to humans throughout history. There have been countless reports and evidences presented that point to cannibalism occurring since the dawn of man. It simply seems as if, if put if a very dire situation, people would turn to other people as a source of sustenance. Fortunately, not many people have had to take such great lengths as this to survive; some people would say they would rather die than eat the
She asserts: “I do not beg anyone for pity, I demand justice. To protect the honour of woman is dharma of king. Then does it befit the Kuru kings to insult the bride of their own clan? (238) It is Sabha Parva that jolts her completely and she takes control of her life after this traumatic episode in her life. Hereafter she empowers herself and challenges the Kuru
(TSEs) are neurodegenerative diseases that are thought to be caused by the misfolding of prion proteins. Prions are able to replicate in the absence of nucleic acids. TSEs include: scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease, and Fatal Familial Insomnia. They can affect many different animals, including humans. Currently, there are no ways to diagnose, treat, or cure TSEs, as much more research is needed before these diseases are
Neurodegenerative Diseases A piece of well-oiled machinery consists of an intricate and complex system: there are well-organized processes, mechanisms within the device work efficiently, and multiple processes function simultaneously to subsequently perform various functions. What happens when there is a glitch in the machine? When there is something wrong, such as connections between intricate processes, which do not follow through, the machine fails to function properly. In some cases, there
Topic in relation to anthropology: Explore the taboo subject of cannibalism and show its relation to cultural practices, beliefs, and rituals. Thesis Statement:Cannibalism is often portrayed as a heinous and repulsive act that is carried out by the most twisted psychopath who washes down the flesh of his victims with a nice glass of Chianti. Imagination and movies have made cannibalism into the stuff of nightmares. And when thought of in a more realistic context, it can only be conceived because
Prion Disease Prion Disease is a lethal thing that does not have a cure. Many people are dying from this and researchers are nowhere near close to finding anything to stop the disease. By making more people aware of this, it can make some that are interested in medicine and science have an drive to help find a cure. Prion Disease is a complex thing to understand completely, especially when there is no prior knowledge about this topic. So explaining the different types and other general information
Prions are the causative agents of a few rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases. These are infectious isoforms of a host-encoded cellular protein known as the prion protein. Prion diseases affect humans and animals and are uniformly fatal in nature. [1] Structure of prions Prions are small infectious particles composed of abnormally folded protein that causes progressive neurodegenerative conditions. [2] Prions-the term
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or Mad Cow Disease (BSE), degenerative brain disorder of cattle. Symptoms in cows include loss of coordination and a typical staggering gait. Affected animals also show signs of senility, for example, lack of interest in their surroundings, the abandonment of routine habits, disinterest in feed and water, or unpredictable behavior. Affected cattle show symptoms when they are three to ten years old. First identified in Britain in November 1986, over 170,000 cases have
There are many ways to die. Old-age, sickness, and starvation are common ways in the world today; however, being killed and eaten is not as typical. Cannibalism happens in various religions and for survival and sadistic purposes and is still happening to this day, but being a cannibal has some pros and cons when it comes to health. Cannibalism is the eating of human flesh by another human being. In some cases, it is used for religious purposes. Some people believed that if they ate someone else’s
research confirmed Prusiner’s theory that a protein was the cause. The research had discovered an unusual type of protein in the brains of animals affected by various kinds of spongiform encephalopathies. Scientists now believe, because of Prusiner, that Kuru, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, vCJD, and other related diseases, like CJD, are caused by the transmission of prions from an infected person to a healthy person
Sometimes a scientific discovery shakes the confidence of scientists, making them question whether they truly understand nature's ground rules. That's exactly what prions have done to scientists' understanding of the ground rules for infectiousdiseases. Prions cause diseases,but they aren't viruses or bacteria or fungi or parasites. They are simply proteins, and proteins were never thought to be infectious on their own. Organisms are infectious, proteins are not. Or, at least, they never used to