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Monday, September 10, 2012

EduBlogging: When Students Become Teachers



Indeed, we live in a very modern world. Pictures you took minutes ago can now be uploaded on the internet in just a few clicks using a laptop or any other device that can connect you to the world wide web. As a graduating medical technology student, I can say that I have learned a lot from edublogging. Edublogging gave me the chance to both learn and teach at the same time. By reading the blogposts of my fellow students, my knowledge of different fields increases. at the same time, I was able to awaken the sleeping witer inside me through the posts I make. How can edublogging transform simple students into teachers? Let me tell you some points I have learned about teaching:

1. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.



This famous quote from Henry Adams indeed is true. We can never tell when an instructor’s influence would stop. Like for example, our mothers, having been said to be our first teachers, could influence our thoughts as well as our behavior. A child who grew under a strict parent could likewise be strict to his/her children. A mother who teaches her children to pray right before eating has a chance of passing this religious attitude to her children. Her children may likewise teach their children in the future to pray before meals.


Another good example for this quotation includes the different jobs people have now. A medical technologist who knows how to extract blood from a vein (venipuncture) got his/her knowledge from his/her mentors in the university where he/she came from. He/she can impart this knowledge to other MT students. Likewise, when we write posts through edublogging, the things that we write can add to the knowledge of others. Edublogging gives us the chance to share our expertise to different kinds of people. EDUBLOGGING INFORMS. Information they learn from us can then be passed to others.


2. In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day’s work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.


I bet you might have experienced seeing your teacher talking to one of his/her former students. That former student of your teacher may now be a famous businessman, a successful physician or even a powerful politician. Indeed, whatever seed is planted, it would be harvested.


A teacher may be passionate enough to do her job but she can never see the fruits of her labor until many years pass. Like for example, during my sister’s high school graduation which was held just last April, the speaker of the ceremony, a famous cardiologist, said that when he was still young, they were very poor. He never expected that he would become a successful physician. What he shared to us is that the teachers of the said public high school in which he came from inspired him. They motivated and gave him the opportunity to realize what he is destined for to be in life.


Edublogging provides us the opportunity to INFLUENCE. We never know, a youngster might be reading our posts and with our help, we are inflaming his desire to become a writer in the future. In my case, senior high school students who do not have a clear view of what they want to become in then future can be influenced by my clinical chemistry blogposts to become medical technologists in the future. EDUBLOGGING INFLUENCES.


3.  The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself.


This quotation was from Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton. What does it mean? For me, when we teach, we should also take into consideration the feelings as well as the opinions of our students (in the case of edublogging, our readers). We should also have a certain connection with them. It is not enough that teachers talk to students. They should also understand what the students want to say. Being a teacher requires someone not only to teach but also to learn from his/her students. What a teacher may learn is not limited to knowledge/ experience that his/her student may share. He/she can also learn new attitudes, new behaviour as well as new perspectives in teaching when he/she is with his/her students depending of course on the type of class he/she is in.


Edublogging teaches us to accept opinions and criticisms through the comments given by our readers. We should accept them fully and learn from them. Also, when we blog, we should make sure that what we write are original. The content of our posts should not also inflict emotional stress nor harm to anyone. Be aware of cyber bullying.  


4. Teaching is not just a job. It is a human service and it must be thought of as a mission.



This quotation is indeed true! Dr. Ralph Tyler was able to inspire me. For me, what this quote suggests is that teaching is not limited to delivering and sharing what you know to your students. It should not be regarded as just any kind of profession because teaching is very important. It is not just an occupation but instead a mission.


We bloggers should regard our job as a mission. Edublogging serves as a medium for us not only to improve ourselves but others as well. When we write, we gain confidence. We boost our belief that we are great in something. Also, if what we write catches the attention of our readers, we gain their trust. Edublogging can also be a way of gaining more friends (fans, even).


EDUCATIONAL BLOGGING gave me the chance to experience all these! Blogging is fun and very exciting. I believe that all students should be taught how to blog. I would like to personally thank our mentor, Mrs. VBG, for giving us, her students, the chance of experiencing how to blog. :)

Thanks for reading! I hope I can still update this blog in the future. Visit once in a while. :D

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Toxicology: When Antidotes Become Superheroes


If you are a big fan of Batman, you might be familiar with Poison Ivy, one of Batman and Robin's most powerful enemies. Her real name is Pamela Lillian Isley. Poison Ivy is obsessed with plants and with the environment in general. Instead of blood, chlorophyll flows through her veins giving her the power of toxic touch as well as the ability to make use of mind controlling pheromones for her criminal acts. Her first kiss is poison while the second one is the antidote to it. Her goal in life is to eradicate humanity so as to relieve the world of pollution.


Of course, in real life, poison ivy is just a plant-- a POISONOUS one. When this plant is bruised, damaged or burned, it releases an oil, urushiol which when it comes in contact with our skin, triggers an allergic reaction referred to as contact dermatitis. In most people, the allergy is in a form of an itchy, red rash with blisters or bumps. Burning this plant is very dangerous because the allergens may be inhaled. Inhalation may lead to lung irritation. Indeed, toxic substances are part of our lives. We should have enough knowledge about them in order for us to avoid the different risks that they impose.

Definition and Disciplines 

What is TOXICOLOGY? If I were asked, I would say that it is a branch of science that deals with the study of poisons and the adverse effects of these substances to the human body. It is said that these is a very broad  body of knowledge. Within toxicology, there are four disciplines being studied:

  • Mechanistic Toxicology- studies the cellular and biochemical effects of toxins. This discipline provides a basis for rational therapy design. Also, in order to determine the degree of exposure of poisoned individuals, tests are being developed in this field.
  • Descriptive Toxicology- animal experiments are being done in this field (risk assessment). The results are then used to predict what level of exposure will harm humans. 

  • Forensic Toxicology- this field establishes and validates the performance of methods that can be used to generate evidence in legal situations (death, etc.). Also, the major focus of forensic toxicology is the medicolegal consequences of toxin exposure.

  • Clinical Toxicology- field which involves both diagnostic testing and  therapeutic intervention. The relationship of toxin exposure and disease states is the focus of this field.


Toxin Exposure

People are exposed to toxic substances for various reasons. These include:
  • Intentional suicide attempts (50%)- this has the highest mortality rate.
  • Accidental exposure (30%)- occurs most frequently in children but also occurs in adults (therapeutic or illicit drug overdose).
  • Homicide
  • Occupational exposure- occurs primarily in industrial or agricultural settings.

Routes of Exposure

Toxins can enter the body through the following routes:
  • Ingestion
  • Inhalation
  • Transdermal Absorption

Acute Vs. Chronic Toxicity

These two terms are used to describe the effect of a drug based on the duration and frequency of exposure. Acute toxicity is associated with a single, short-term exposure to a substance. The dose is sufficient to cause an immediate effect which is toxic. When there is a repeated, frequent exposure to a drug for extended periods of time (especially if the dose is insufficient to cause an immediate acute response), chronic toxicity may occur. This type of toxicity is often related to an accumulation of the toxic substance.

Terminologies

Of course, in order for us to understand toxicology better, we should be familiar with some terms that are commonly used in this field.
  • Dose- this is the quantity of a substance, such as a drug, taken in.
  • Dose-Response Relationship- this is the relationship of a dose of a drug taken by a person and the effect it exhibits on that individual. It is said that the dose and the response are directly proportional so the higher the dose, the greater the response exhibited.
  • No-Effect Dose- the maximum dose wherein a toxic effect is not seen.
  • Minimum Lethal Dose- this is the minimum dose that could kill an experimental animal.
  • Median Lethal Dose- the dose that kills half of the population of the experimental animals.

Toxicology of Specific Agents

Some drugs, though they are not considered as toxins, that we encounter on a regular basis have potential adverse effects.

  • Alcohol

    • a central nervous system (CNS) depressant
    • high levels of exposure can cause death
    • may cause disorientation, confusion and euphoria
    • continuous intake may progress to unconsciousness and paralysis
    • recovery is rapid and complete after exposure ceases
  • Carbon Monoxide

    • a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas
    • combines with the hemoglobin in the blood to produce carboxyhemoglobin (COHb)
    • produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances
    • net effect is tissue hypoxia
    • people who die of carbon monoxide poisoning actually die due to lack of oxygen
  • Cyanide

    • binds to iron containing substances (e.g. hemoglobin and cytochrome oxidase) resulting to tissue and cellular hypoxia
    • a supertoxic substance that can be in a form of a solid, gas or in solution
    • has "odor of bitter almonds"

Metals

Metals, when ingested in large amounts and absorbed in their ionized forms, can be toxic to the human body.
  • Arsenic

    • has high affinity to the thiol groups in proteins
    • has the "odor of garlic" and expresses a "metallic taste" when accidentally eaten
    • sulfhydryl enzymes in the body are inhibited due to this metal
    • a common agent of heavy metal poisoning
    • being a pigment of paints and plastics, it is an environmental pollutant
    • when acidic foods are stored or prepared in containers made up of cadmium, cadmium poisoning can result upon ingestion of these foods
    • type 1 epithelial cells in the lungs are destroyed and there is a decreased resistance to bacterial infections
  • Lead


    • metal that has the ability to bind with the matrix of bones and stay there  for a long time
    • has a half-life of 32 years
    • encephalopathy, birth defects and compromised immunity are the results of exposure to this metal
    • behavioral changes are the results of low-level exposure
    • produces anemia by affecting the vitamin D and heme synthesis pathway of the blood
  • Mercury

    • an enzyme inhibitor
    • has the ability to bind with proteins (like arsenic)
    • can accumulate in the CNS once inhaled due to its ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier
    • presence in the blood may result to loss of glomerular integrity

Drugs of Abuse

  • Amphetamines
  • Annabolic Steroids

    • associated to testosterone
    • increases muscle mass but large amounts cause chronic hepatitis, cardiomegaly and atherosclerosis
  • Cannabinoids

    • marijuana and hashish are examples
    • tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most potent component of marijuana
    • THC induces a sense of well-being and euphoria but also causes impairment of intellectual functions
  • Cocaine
  • Opiates

    • derived from opium poppy
    • naturally occurring substances include: opium, morphine (powerful analgesic) and codeine (antitussive) 
    • heroin is a modified form and is highly addictive
    • exposure to large amounts lead to myoglobinuria, respiratory acidosis and cardiopulmonary failure
  • Phencyclidine (PCP)

    • an illicit drug that has stimulant, depressant, anesthetic and hallucinogenic properties
    • toxic effects include stupor and coma
  • Sedative Hypnotics

    • CNS depressants but have therapeutic roles
    • have the ability to potentiate the effects of heroin
    • large amounts cause respiratory depression
    • barbiturates and benzodiazepines are examples

Therapeutic drugs

Therapeutic drugs, such as acetaminophen and salicylates, when taken in large amounts also have adverse effects.


  • Salicylates/ Aspirin

    • an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drug
    • has anticoagulant property
    • may lead to metabolic acidosis and respiratory alkalosis when taken in large amounts
  • Acetaminophen

    • prostaglandin metabolism inhibitor
    • overdosage leads to hepatotoxicity
Indeed, toxicology is an important field of medical science. Just imagine how short life would be if we are not aware of the adverse effects of the different drugs that we take. Knowledge of the different drugs and their effects is crucial if we want to have a long life. Remember what Paracelsus once said, "All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison."

Thanks for reading my post! Wait for the next one! :)

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REFERENCES:

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Urine Estrogens: The Baby is Okay!

Being a woman involves not only the skill of being flexible in aiding the needs of your children. It also requires a person to sacrifice a lot especially during the time of pregnancy and childbirth. It is a good thing that nowadays, methods have been developed that can help couples in determining if their unborn child is perfectly fine inside his/ her mom's womb.

Urine estrogens are being measured in order to monitor how the unborn child is developing during pregnancy. There is an increase in the 24-h urine output of estrogens since there is an increase primarily of estriol formation. Estrogen has three fractions-- estriol, estradiol and estrone. There is no need to fractionize the components since an overall increase in the total estrogen level provides enough clinical significance.

The Kober reaction is the method being employed in order to determine the total estrogen level of urine. it involves the urine sample being heated in a strong solution of aqueous sulfuric acid which also contains hydroquinone. After heating, the solution is also diluted and then the absorbance of the reddish-brown color produced is then measured using the spectrophotometer in order to determine the concentration of total estrogen.

Significant decrease in urine estrogen output is often due to:
  • antibiotics such as ampicillin which reduces bacterial levels in the intestine, causing a diminished hydrolysis of estriol conjugates.
  • use of hydrochlorothiazide in the Kober reaction which destroys estrogens during the acid hydrolysis step.
Meprobamate, phenolphthalein and L-dopa all falsely increase the results of the test due to their reaction with the Kober reagent.

Thanks for reading my post! Watch out for the next posts to come!

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Reference:

  • Clinical Chemistry: A Fundamental Textbook by Donald F. Calbreath

Sunday, May 20, 2012

To Endocrinology and Beyond!



Silly Hormones!


The blogger's grade school yearbook.
Image credit: JERJ



I was cleaning my room the other day when my grade school yearbook caught my attention. I don't quite remember when was the last time I opened it as it was under a pile of books and layers of dust that may have accumulated over the past years. As I open it, I was shocked at how different I looked before. I was very thin and looked really young. Some of my elementary friends, who I still keep in touch with today, looked different too! Pardon me as I use a very cliched quote, but "change, indeed, is inevitable". The human body is the very epitome of how nothing in this world is permanent. 

I asked myself, What is the cause of these changes? Or rather, What system in the body is responsible for these physiologic changes that every human, especially those in their adolescent years, experience?


In addition to these questions, I have also encroached on the subject of diseases like diabetes mellitus (DM) and dwarfism. Is it possible that the reasons behind growth spurts and adolescent changes are also the ones responsible for these diseases? And so I made some research to help enlighten myself and others who have the same questions in mind.

The Endocrine and The Nervous System


I have found out that there are two particular systems in our body responsible for the physiologic changes that we experience. These two systems are the Nervous and the Endocrine System. They do not just control some of the biological functions of our body but they also influence behavior. 


As a Clinical Chemistry student, I have decided to focus more on the Endocrine System. Endocrinology is the field of medical science that deals with the study of the different glands that make up the endocrine system as well as with the hormones that they secrete which play a role in maintaining the body's normal biologic and physiologic functions.


Pass Me the Message


The Endocrine system consists of a lot of ductless glands. These different glands, which I will be discussing with more depth later, release hormones which are active chemical regulators that circulate in the bloodstream. These hormones regulate the biologic functioning and growth of our bodies by interacting with the specific receptors present on the cells of all our organs. There are also some hormones that stimulate nearby cells. They are able to do this function by flowing through the extracellular fluid of our bodies. 


You may ask yourself, what are the differences between the endocrine and the nervous system? I do have my answer for that. If the endocrine system is a chemical network that transmits messages to all the organs of our body via the bloodstream, the nervous system acts only locally. In response to nerve impulses, the system releases neurotransmitters. The sites of action are close to where the neurotransmitters are released (synapse).



The Glands of the Chemical Communication Network


The glands of the chemical communication network.

Let us now talk about the glands that make up the endocrine system. For ease of understanding, I decided to arrange the glands in the form of bullets with clear and concise descriptions for each.
  • Hypothalamus
    • this is the gland that is responsible for the internal homeostasis (balance) of the body
    • produces at least 9 different hormones
    • found below the thalamus
    • serves as the major link between the endocrine and the nervous systems
  • Pituitary Gland
    • also known as hypophysis
    • called the "master gland" but in turn serves the hypothalamus
    • secretes 7 different hormones
    • hormones secreted by this organ control growth
    • the rest of the endocrine system is controlled and regulated by this organ
  • Thyroid Gland
    • gland that is butterfly-shaped
    • mostly made up of thyroid follicles
    • the hormones tetraiodothyronine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) are produced by this gland
    • parafollicular cells produce calcitonin (calcium homeostasis)
  • Parathyroid Glands
    • small, round masses of tissue weighing 40 mg each
    • the epithelial cells contained in this glands are the chief cells and the oxyphil cells
    • the parathyroid hormone, also known as PTH and parathormone, is produced by the chief/principal cells
  • Adrenal Glands
    • pair of glands each having a flattened pyramidal shape
    • has two distinct regions different in structure and function-- the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla
    • the adrenal cortex which is located in the periphery is responsible for the production of steroid hormones
    • the adrenal medulla which is centrally located produces the catecholamine hormones: epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine
  • Pancreas
    • has endocrine and exocrine functions
    • with islets of Langerhans
    • each pancreatic islet has cells that produce a different hormone:
      • A cells produce glucagon
      • B cells produce insulin
      • D cells produce somatostatin
      • F cells produce pancreatic polypeptide
  • Gonads (Ovaries and Testes)
    • the ovaries produce two estrogens and progesterone that, together with the gonadotropic hormones, promote the development, regulation and maintenance of female secondary sex characteristics
    • the said ovarian hormones also play a role in the regulation of the menstrual cycle and oogenesis
    • the ovaries also produce relaxin and inhibin
    • the testes produce testosterone, which promote the development, regulation and maintenance of male secondary sex characteristics
  • Pineal Gland
    • responsible for the secretion of the hormone melatonin (body's biological clock regulation)
  • Thymus
    • produces thymic factor (TF), thymic humoral factor (THF), thymosin and thymopoietin
    • the hormones produced by the thymus play a role in immunity-- the maturation of T cells
    • the hormones are also responsible for the retardation of aging


Hormonal Imbalance: Good or Bad?


As a medical technology student, I can say that I have a rich background on some lifestyle diseases. One of which is diabetes mellitus (DM). I have friends whose parents have diabetes. With the help of my research on endocrinology, I was able to understand how this most common endocrine disorder works on the body.


People who have diabetes mellitus are unable to produce nor use insulin. A person with type 1 diabetes has a low insulin level because their immune system destroys the beta cells found in the islets of Langerhans. These cells, as discussed earlier, are responsible for insulin production. People with type 2 diabetes, the more common type, have a problem, not with insulin shortage, but with the insulin receptors-- there is down regulation and loss of sensitivity to insulin.


An individual with dwarfism.


Another endocrine disorder which I think most people are quite familiar with is pituitary dwarfism.  People with dwarfism have trouble with the production of the human growth hormone of the anterior pituitary gland. hGH hyposecretion slows down the growth of bones and could also hinder the growth of other organs. The next time you see an old person with childlike body proportions, he/she may have pituitary dwarfism.


Other endocrine disorders include diabetes insipidus (antidiuretic hormone problem), hyperthyroidism (thyroid gland disorder) and Cushing's syndrome (cortisol hypersecretion). There are more of these disorders and as we enter deeper and move along the realm of endocrinology, they will also be discussed.

So the next time you experience something different about yourself (especially if it is physiologic), consider your SILLY HORMONES-- the products of the chemical communication network of your body which is the ENDOCRINE SYSTEM.


Thank you for reading my very first blog entry! Do watch out for the next. God speed!



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References:
  • Principles of Anatomy and Physiology Vol. 1 12th Ed. by Gerard J. Tortora and Bryan H. Derrickson (2009)
  • Understanding Psychology 8th Ed. by Robert S. Feldman (2008)
  • Basic Clinical Endocrinology 4th Ed. by Francis S. Greenspan and John D. Baxter
  • Clinical Chemistry: Theory, Analysis and Correlation 2nd Ed. by Lawrence A. Kaplan and Amadeo J. Pesce