Why Doctors Often Are Off-Target

Posted on by frankwmcarr

The medical profession, a very noble one indeed, still has its substantial limitations.  While I am not a doctor myself (so don’t take this too seriously), I can mention how doctors often fail.

  1. They know more about your body than actually knowing your body.
    Whatever symptoms you give them, they can only diagnose, treat (and sometimes, cure) a given ailment, as well as give advice, based on what they know.  While empathy is a great quality for a doctor to hold, what makes a doctor what s/he is includes his education and  training in a given specialty through many grueling schooling and training years (4 years of college, containing a pre-medical sequence, another 4 of medical school, a year of internship, and a residency based on his/her specialty).  No wonder physician assistants and nurse practitioners are doing more and more activity formerly reserved
  2. Doctors, especially surgeons, must strongly keep in mind the Hippocratic oath, which binds doctors to “do no harm.”  This means, they must know what they are doing, because if they do not perform the right moves, they may cause injury, or even death.  While some surgeries are becoming much and much easier (e.g., eye surgeries), others, like heart transplants, are no joke.  While all surgeries are intended to help the patient, they sometimes often turn adverse.  And like a typical illness or injury, a surgery, despite being a treatment, must be recovered from.  So your original issue, surgically addressed, is now a matter of surgical recovery, not the original condition.  And surgeries, inevitably, are treated by one’s body, the same as an actual injury (after all, both lead to scars).  In a nutshell, surgery can be viewed as a cousin of a true injury, but with a positive intent.
  3. The medical and legal professions meet on a horrendous frequency, i.e., when one is injured or dies from medical malpractice.  In fact, some doctors are lawyers as well!   And this is where things get really ugly.  (Insurance often ties in, by the way.)
  4. Gone are the days of the low-key, innocent prescription choices by doctors.  Nowadays, it’s flamboyantly spread throughout TV commercials and magazines.  After all, isn’t a prescription, let alone a combination of such, a doctor’s decision?  Now consumers are equally privy to medications that a doctor could prescribe.  Even worse, “families” of drugs are noticeable, some of which have gone over-the-counter, others protected from such.  For example, for acid reflex, there’s Prilosec, Zantac, Prevacid, etc.  Diabetics have many options for their treatment, especially insulin.  A medication family called statins are intended to treat high cholesterol; among such drugs are Zocor, Lipitor, Crestor, etc.  And men (especially over, say, 40) have the wish of a better sex life with Viagra (over 2 decades old now!), Levitra, and Cialis.

Alas, doctors are here to stay, whether you like it or not.  And God made certain minds that study different things.  Medicine is only one of them.  And when a person needs a doctor or hospital stay, pray for them!  After all, Luke, the writer of his gospel and Acts, was one.

Leave Our Mitochondria Alone!

Posted on by frankwmcarr

The very things that run your body may easily become stolen property.

This cunning biotechnology scheme, known as mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT), currently only legal in the UK, is absolutely out of bounds. Even though you’re not messing with the “majority” (nuclear) DNA, genes are genes, and this mitochondrial “minority” DNA needs to stay put.

These genes are, of course, designed to make cell energy possible. (A brief reminder from HS biology: mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, and supply energy to the cells using oxygen and nutrients, which is the very reason we eat and breathe.) And what good is a organism without energy anyway?

Indeed, when mitochondrial DNA is mutated, can lead to such ailments as blindness and seizures. But putting a foreign mitochondrion into a cell, whether it is truly genetically engineering or not, is still playing God, like much of biology is now.

Details can be found in the above article, and I have some supplemental info from my own keen understanding of Biology! Between the head of the sperm and its tail, there is a middle axis of mitochondria. However, the nucleus is contained strictly in the head of the sperm cell.  The female egg cell is a more typically structured cell, so it is more likely to pass its mitochondria to the next generation. But even if the offspring is disabled due to a faulty mitochondrial genome, it is God’s will.

Let’s eliminate eugenics!

An Ill-Engineered Alarm Clock Feature

Posted on by frankwmcarr

My alarm clock, just several years old, has a seemingly nifty feature that actually backfires.

This feature is essentially a projector of the time against a ceiling, to be used typically at night.  Imagine, time on your ceiling!

But, not so fast.  The projected time, by our perception it becomes blurred when viewed in the very milieu that it was made for:  a nighttime room!

So, what’s the secret?  Central vision works best in sufficiently bright light, due to its domination of cones.  On the other hand, vision in the dark is run by rod cells, which dwell outside that central region of the retina. So the point of the projected image your eyes are focused on is actually fuzzy.  Moreover, since only cones can process light info that contains color, they are disadvantaged in a dark room as such.  Of course, the alarm clock proper does not bear this difference, for this display, by its nature is its own light source.  And now that I have advised you of this sly feature, I hope you can get a better understanding of this.  (They probably should have consulted a neuroscientist, neurologist or ophthalmologist for better insight.  LOL)

And for the stargazers among you, this is true for dim stars, which can only be seen at a  directly adjacent point.

Alarm Projector
While there is apparently no difference in visibility in a camera, when your eyes actually this very image, you may have to “zig-zag” your gaze to get the time, or just use the commonsense method, look at the clock itself!

As a man blessed as a articulate writer and knowledge liaison, again and again you can count on me for making the arcane, technical world of science (and other topics) yours.

I must mention a key Scripture passage: the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, that whatever you’ve been given, you should appreciate, and indeed build upon that.  The word “talent” in that time, which was a very large monetary unit, has been adopted into English as what it means now:  a natural skill, honed by practice!  So don’t take your talents lightly.  The parable, as usual, is what Jesus spoke to the disciples.

So be a wise consumer.  Pray for what you need.  And remember, even the finest things earth has to offer is not even near perfect.

Look Closely at Your Eggshells

Posted on by frankwmcarr
Eggshell
See the translucent shell lying under the opaque shell we normally see.

I was making an omelet around 6 this morning (and have been up since about 5).  I discovered however, that eggshells have an inner layer.

I will sometime try to research the anatomy of an egg.  Texts (or, better yet, college courses!) on ornithology and embryology, as well as Britannica, etc., will help. For now, I ought to see amazement in every area of his creation I observe, wherever it may be.  AMEN.

An Amazing (Yet Simple) Substance

Posted on by frankwmcarr

You think you know this planet has an amazing substance that we can’t live without.  But you might think you can’t imagine what it is.  Well, I’ll give you 10 clues.

10)  It needs a lot of incoming heat to substantially change its temperature.  (Especially in the oceans)

9) It easily holds its own surface, can hold to molecules of the same substance, and can even hold to certain walls.

8) It is neither an acid nor a base

7)  Your kidneys control the balance of this in your blood in relation to the cells of throughout the body.

6)  It falls, rises, makes clouds, and does this in a constant cycle.

5)  It is quick to dissolve substances, making it a (somewhat) universal solvent

4)  It can be a solid, liquid, or gas.

3)  In ice (solid) form, we put it in our drinks and store it in cubes or in a crushed form.

2)  When it is frozen and transitions from a liquid to solid, it will expand (not contract), protecting life under a thin layer of such.

1) We are supposed to drink 8 glasses of it per day.

So, what is it? You guessed it:  it’s water!  Good old H2O!  Sure was a no brainer!

 

The Tastiness of Taste

Posted on by frankwmcarr

Outside the human race, the primary function of taste is to acknowledge the nutritive value and/or danger of food an animal eats, depending on the concentration of the constituent substances.  For humans, though, God gave us a bonus – to value the food to enjoy it.

Humans get to taste five “classes” of tastes (and yes, you probably noticed there is a newly contrived one!)  We all know sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, but you perhaps never heard of a recently discovered one – “umami,” a “meaty” taste.  Let’s discuss how this works and what is represented:

-First of all, taste is principally a quality, not a quantity.  Salty foods are salty, sweet ones are sweet, etc.  Yes, there are degrees of taste, especially due to the chemical nature of what is tasted.  But the fact that one sweet taste is sweeter than another does not make either one cease to be sweet.
-Nutrients may or may not be tasted.  Proteins and lipids, are often derived from carbohydrates.  Proteins themselves cannot be tasted, though their constituents (namely, amino acids) can allow for tastes, e.g., sweet or sour.  Yet, one such amino acid, glutamic acid, and a derivative of such (namely, MSG, a commonly-used seasoning), elicits the umami taste.  Furthermore, reception of umami taste can be differentiated for different foods eliciting that sensation.
-Foods with multiple substances or quantities thereof can construct a unique taste to a certain food, say, an apple.
-“Mineral” nutrients, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and chlorine, can be consumed in the diet, but of course, in smaller quantities.  Because they are nutritionally borne as salts, they can be tasted as such, to avoid excesses.  There is also an apparent craving in deficient conditions, but the sensory component is still murky.  And in everyday human society, potassium and calcium get much honor, but sodium is a four-letter word (due to its blood pressure increase factors)
-Vitamins generally bear no taste, since most food has all the vitamin content they need.  Yet, it may be a different story for those who take vitamin supplements, LOL.
-All substances, except those that are bitter, typically dissolve in water.
-Different people have different numbers of taste buds

Moreover, with our power of reason and understanding of the science behind nutrition, we humans actually can understand nutrition much more thoroughly, especially with the help and advice of professionals like doctors and dieticians.

Finally, I leave you with this:  while olfaction (detecting odors) is less important in humans than certain other animals, it is a key complement to taste.  In fact, when odor and taste team up, the phenomenon is called flavor.  If you have a cold, for example, food will have the same taste per se, but less flavor.  So now you break the subtle confusion of “taste” and “flavor.”  Humans have a modest, if substantial, potential for odor detection.

This is yet again a feature that makes us unique, namely, in the image and likeness of God.  We are stewards of God’s world, both for our good and everything else in it.

Glorifying God in All Fields of Work

Posted on by frankwmcarr

Before I discuss this question, I must admit at a church I attended in the summer of 2015 had an incredible (and indelible) sermon series.  It was right on target for my career situation, both then and now.

Overall, it discussed the truth of work and keeping away from having too ambitious of an attitude toward it.  In other words, if someone wishes to “change the world,” a hope for such a breakthrough is totally in God’s hands.  Thus, the likelihood of such a change tends to be slim.  So, we must think in terms of “baby steps,” no matter what our careers entail.

The bottom line is whatever you do, you should do it to God’s glory, and with the spirit of Christian love.  This applies to all careers, from truck drivers to doctors.  (This does not mean you should deal strictly with Christians, because, likewise, their salvation is personal.)

Fast forward 2 years for the meat and potatoes.  While I am (and have been) a Biology major hopeful, I recently thought there was no jobs that fit the bill.  Well, things have changed, and things are looking brighter.

That radical change of heart concerned the various positions of cell and molecular biology, the dominant field today.  Previously, I was cynical toward that, since I thought such research was an excuse to prolong life as well as to eradicate certain diseases, and hence make the world more “worldly.”  (Of course, on earth, just because we cure everything that exists doesn’t make death any less inevitable.)

But the good side of such scientific progress is that 1) extension of the average life expectancy gives time more for better Gospel reception 2) it won’t make anything more “sacred” to target the “worldliness” mentioned above; of course, this earth is worldly by definition, and people may or may not receive the Gospel (this depends on God’s will) 3)  Over the past few centuries we have made great strides, so why stop them now?  Such serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are apparently far more formidable than such ailments like polio, measles, etc., which can be addressed by certain vaccines and similar barriers.  Not to mention, all this is done for the good of people like me and you, as Phil 2:3, 4 advocates, whether as a true biologist, a biology technician, or similar occupation.

So, should I pursue such a career?  Well, in any case, the Bible is the central source of wisdom for Christians, and that is my guide.  Prayer is welcome as well, from wherever your neck of the woods may be.

No matter what your job is, as long as it is done to God’s glory, renders work as worship.  AMEN

Improving Inner-Cities: What You Can Do and What You Can’t

Posted on by frankwmcarr

Ok, we shall take this title in reverse.

We will first discuss what must be accepted in inner-city neighborhoods.  One person said that trees keep neighborhoods out of “the ghetto.”  But trees are not an absolute concern to the quality of a urban block, and I will prove this with some botany.

Remember, the diameter of tree trunk depends on its age.  Wood, properly, is solely the xylem of the plant, the central structure which is dead at maturity. Xylem is responsible for transpiration, the gravity-defying, gradient-based water transport from the roots and into the air. The rest of the trunk, that is, its peripheral structure, is collectively called the bark, which includes the phloem (which carries sugars, etc.) and the dead external cork.

In a tree trunk, a tissue called the cambium divides cells both ways, phloem to the outside and xylem towards the center. This is secondary growth, a horizontal process which generates tree trunks, as opposed to primary growth, which is vertical.

Much more xylem is produced than phloem.  Now here it gets interesting. In spring and early summer, secondary xylem cells have a wide diameter, thanks to water from the recent snow melt and the minerals it contains. However, as it continues to absorb minerals and water, they are depleted, and much water is lost throughout the summer. Also, come fall, the days progressively shorten and temperatures drop. Therefore, cells are much narrower in the radial (i.e., toward the center) dimension when generated later in the season.  No growth occurs in winter, and thus the tree acquires a new growth ring.

tree-cross-section
Tree cross-section.  (Koning)

Since some older houses were built in a environment without trees, it is not always a matter of the presence or absence of such, but the actual condition of the homes play a role as well.  Of course, I am not saying that trees are not a beautiful addition to a block.  They sure are!  But it would not be practical to add trees when non-existent.  In fact, another beauty can fill in:  an open and sunny look that trees would intercept.

If houses are run-down, unless they are totally uninhabitable (thus doomed to demolition), they should be repaired, both inside and out.  This includes things such as painting chipped structures, pointing bricks, and other tasks.

So whether choosing houses or fixing them up, as for the trees on the block, just take it or leave it.

Koning, Ross E. 1994. Secondary Growth. Plant Physiology Information Website.
http://plantphys.info/plant_biology/secondary.shtml. (3-4-2017).

“Evolve” and “Express”: Two Subtle Yet Loaded Biological Words

Posted on by frankwmcarr

As you may know, I just started my Biology class, and while the focus right now is on the basics of biochemistry, I can state two words that are part and parcel of biology, yet may be overlooked when one reads biological materials.  These are “evolve” and “express.”

One, “express,” is what it means:  proteins encoded by the cell’s DNA.  While you should know about the basic scheme of DNA –> RNA –> Protein; for most people, the details aren’t so important.  RN A, by the way, is the “bridge” molecule carrying the instructions for the necessary proteins.  In a nutshell, DNA is proclaiming its intended form for that cell’s needs.  (Which is why proteins are important in the diet.)  Still, it a word that can be overlooked, so I feel like I needed to advise science students or mere science lovers about this.  (True scientists themselves probably already have it right.)

“Evolve” on the other hand is much weightier.  Probably, everyone knows about Charles Darwin, who, as he embarked on his ship (the Beagle),  identified some subtle differences among the finches on the Galapagos Islands.  This is the primary basis of the evolutionary theory.  (Of course, he had some far more innocent experiment on plant movements, and perhaps others, but that’s beside the point.Now while I personally am a young-earth believer, it’s not my place to pick on or quarrel with those who believe otherwise.

The only word, to creationists like me, that one should especially worry about is “evolve.”  Fortunately, the sentence in a secular book can be modified (in your head, that is; let’s not put tons of white-out to “restore” the book to less-than-pristine condition!).  This process simply removes or substitutes words suggesting evolution.  For instance:

“This animal evolved this structure/function…”

Instead, say it has this structure/function (i.e., as God created it)!

See how fun and easy creationist thinking is? And, boy, 6000-odd years is much more manipulative than a timescale of millions or billions of years.  And even when professors torture students with the gory details of evolution and/or an old earth, creationism keeps simplicity.

Conclusion:  Biology (and other sciences) can do without evolution, despite Theodosius Dobshansky’s claim on biology.

Western Geology and Eastern Meteorology

Posted on by frankwmcarr

Don’t get me wrong, both earth sciences are important on both coasts.  Weather is everywhere, and earth is our planet.  But the effects of these areas of knowledge are more profound on their respective sides of the United States.

My point is the majority of geological disasters (as well as benefits, whether practical or aesthetic) happen on the west side of the country.  And because of the 1959 ratification of Alaska and Hawaii as states, that adds to the picture.

A prime example is the state of California.  Pros of living out there (concerning geology) are its beautiful structures, from mountains (i.e., Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada), to the coast itself.  A notorious con is, of course, earthquakes, due to the San Andreas Fault.

The Pacific Northwest (i.e., the states of Washington and Oregon), extreme northern California, and the Canadian province of British Columbia also hold a grand mountain range, the Cascades.  This is where things get nasty, however, namely, concerning volcanoes.  If you are old enough to remember 1980’s Mount St. Helens eruption in Washington state, you will understand what I mean.  There are other Cascade volcanoes as well.  I hope to discuss in a later post in more detail about how volcanoes work, as well as other geological phenomena.  For now, as a sneak peek, I will at least mention that Hawaiian volcanoes are a little safer.

And further inland, we all know about all the major spectacles, like the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, and many others.  Ditto for Alaska and much of Canada, which are not only sublime sights, but Canada may provide oil and natural gas, to help our economy divert from imports from Middle Eastern lands.  But that’s politics, so let’s not go there)

Now on to the east.  As an east coast dweller (Pennsylvania) myself, we worry more about hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods.  (And maybe the very occasional tornado).  While many of these ills are of an issue on the southeastern portion of the east coast (as well as the states by the Gulf of Mexico), in rare instances, like 2012’s “Superstorm Sandy,” a strange type of hurricane, portions of the northeastern end (mostly the states of New York and New Jersey) was quite severely traumatized.

But the east is not devoid of geologic structures!  The Appalachians (another splendid region) are probably the best example.  Pennsylvania (and probably other states) has some iffiness on “fracking” (namely, shale fracturing).  The dilemma in this case is either clean water, or more and/or better energy.  Again, though let’s stay away from politics!

Perhaps the heartland gives the best of both worlds.  The Great Plains in the Midwestern Untied States, often known as Tornado Alley, was intended as the path for the Keystone XL pipeline designed to capitalize on American and Canadian fossil fuels.  And obviously, it is a tornado risk area.  The Gulf of Mexico, also an oil source, is also hurricane prone.  (Remember Hurricane Katrina in 2005?  Most locals would rather repress it.)

So while both sides of our great country involve both branches of earth science, geology seems more dominant out west and meteorology in the east.  I’ll be sure to update you as I read things on the subject!

Hey, this stuff may make a good hobby later on.