I'm sorry, I cannot fulfill that request.
Added by Juan Luis S.
Step 1
Is it due to inability, lack of resources, or other constraints? Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Adi S and 54 other Psychology educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
Mary-Lou is a 75-year-old widow, who lost her husband to cancer over a year ago. Her family and friends have noticed that she has been very teary, has low self-esteem and has lost interest in the things she used to love such as going to bingo with her friends and gardening. Her family initially put this down to the loss of her husband and thought it would pass with time. However, they are now getting really concerned as they have noticed that her mood is not improving still. When asked by her daughter if she is sleeping well, she says she has been drinking wine every night to help her go to sleep. It makes her feel happy and relaxed. What started as one glass a night has now increased to two or three glasses a night, and she has also started drinking during the day. Her daughter has noticed that her mum's face always appears flushed and that she has had quite a few colds lately. Mary-Lou is also losing her balance and experiencing mood swings. Her daughter is worried that she is relying too heavily on alcohol and fears that she is starting to get short-term memory loss from the alcohol consumption. She has been forgetting things such as where she put her keys, whether she turned on the washing machine, why she opened the fridge and forgetting the topic of conversation when talking with her daughter on the phone. Mary-Lou has also been getting disorientated and getting lost when she goes out on her daily walks. A neighbor rang her daughter one day to tell her that she found Mary-Lou wandering around aimlessly, and when questioned what she was doing Mary-Lou snapped and said she was trying to get home. Her daughter decided it was time to take Mary-Lou to the local GP to work out what was going on with her. After listening to the signs and symptoms Mary-Lou was experiencing, the GP diagnosed her with depression and prescribed 50 mg of Fluoxetine/Prozac daily. Based on the results of clinical and radiological assessments, the GP determined that she had early onset Alzheimer's disease. He prescribed a cholinesterase inhibitor and gave them information on support groups and tips on what to do from here on in. He also prescribed 10 mg of Diazepam daily to help with the withdrawals from alcohol abuse. Question 1 Based on the clinical picture presented above, you should have identified three diseases/conditions we have covered in BIOL122. Name two of the diseases/conditions you identified, and List two characteristic signs or symptoms (per disease) that you noted in Mary-Lou's history and clinical picture. Finally, explain the pathophysiology of both diseases/conditions you named (i.e., explain the changes that cause the disease and relate the typical signs and symptoms of the disease to the clinical picture).
Adi S.
EXERCISE Applying Critical Thinking to the Amphibian Decline Problem Adriana Lobo and Ana Porzecanski AASAACI is designed to foster critical thinking habits. It encourages students to comprehend complex environmental issues and gather evidence before accepting or formulating conclusions. In the context of amphibian decline, AASAACI students engage in group discussions and ask questions to conduct individual or group research. The goal is to understand the causes and consequences of amphibian decline and develop effective conservation strategies. PART I: WHY ARE AMPHIBIANS DECLINING? Nora's heart was racing when the plane landed. Finally, back in Costa Rica, she cherished the memories of her research years in the early 1990s. Living and working in the rainforest, she had never felt so alive. She had told her students many stories from that time, especially the incredible feeling of hearing the forest come alive at dusk with the sound of hundreds of calling frogs. Later that day, after settling at the field station and having an early dinner, Nora and her students made their way to the nearest forest trail and started hiking. As dusk approached, her expectations grew, but an eerie feeling took over. She noticed that something was different. The forest was definitely turning dark, but it was strangely silent. Fear enveloped them as they continued hiking, and then the light from twelve headlamps converged on her. Ms. Torres couldn't help but wonder, shouldn't the frogs be calling? She was afraid it was much worse than she had imagined. She couldn't believe that so many species had been lost in such a short time. Then they all started speaking at once: "Are they really gone, Ms. Torres? What happened?" She knew she would have to brush up on her scientific knowledge to answer their questions tomorrow. II. Introduction and Instructions Through this case study on amphibian declines, we aim to understand this phenomenon and the challenges it poses to biodiversity conservation. We will explore various hypotheses and supporting evidence to critically analyze the situation. As you read, keep in mind that you will be asked to answer questions based on the information presented. III. Questions Please consult the following questions as you read and critically analyze the information presented. These questions will help you understand the complexity of amphibian declines and the need for effective conservation measures.
Madhur L.
Caffeine and the Brain Ashley is about to take the examination for her general biology class. She's spent many long hours studying and feels a little tired. On her way to class, she stops by the student center to grab a large cup of coffee. She hopes that the caffeine in the coffee will help her do better on the exam. Chemically, caffeine (C8H10N4O2) is a purine with two oxygens and three methyl groups attached. When ingested, it is rapidly absorbed and soon reaches all cells of the body, including those of the brain, where it acts as a stimulant. Caffeine is found not only in coffee but also in tea, chocolate, and many soft drinks, including popular "energy drinks." In addition, caffeine is present in numerous over-the-counter medications, such as headache remedies, diet pills, diuretics, and alertness aids. How much can Ashley count on coffee to help her on the examination? Without a doubt, caffeine does fight fatigue, so it will likely help Ashley avoid dozing off during the examination (surely among a student's worst nightmares). But will it help her recall the information she has learned? Most likely it will because Ashley will be more alert. On the other hand, taking in too much caffeine could make her feel too "jittery" to think clearly. The mental effects of caffeine can be unpredictable. The rate at which an individual metabolizes caffeine varies by age and sex and may be affected by the concurrent use of other drugs, such as alcohol and nicotine. Also, the amount of caffeine an individual ingests in a cup of coffee can vary quite a bit depending on the size of the cup, the variety of coffee beans, and the brewing method. How does caffeine exert its effects on the brain? Much of caffeine's stimulant action is thought to be due to its blockade of adenosine receptors located in the membranes of the brain's neurons. Adenosine is not considered a true neurotransmitter, such as acetylcholine, dopamine, or serotonin, because it is not stored and released at chemical synapses. However, adenosine is an important neuromodulator, a chemical that influences synaptic function. One of adenosine's prominent roles in the central nervous system (CNS) is to promote sleep. When caffeine reaches the CNS, it binds to and blocks adenosine receptors, preventing adenosine from causing drowsiness. In 1999, Menahem Segal and Eduard Korkotian of the Department of Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute in Israel reported an interesting discovery. They had removed the part of the brain called the hippocampus from rat embryos and kept the cells alive, cultured on microscope slides. The researchers then applied caffeine to the hippocampal cells and observed them under a microscope to see if there were any changes. Dosing the cells with caffeine caused a rise in cellular calcium levels—a phenomenon known to be related to learning and memory. Even more interesting was the observation that repeated caffeine exposure caused some of the spines on the neuronal dendrites to grow longer! Dendritic spines are protrusions that may be important in influencing the number of synaptic connections a neuron can receive. Thus, caffeine may influence learning and memory by inducing changes in the brain's "wiring" at the microscopic level. Questions Ashley is standing in line at the coffee counter in the student center. What advice would you offer regarding her impending use of caffeine? Explain your answer. Track your caffeine intake for one day. Be aware that caffeine may be present in unexpected dietary sources, including certain herbal supplements and teas. Check food, beverage, and medicine labels for caffeine content. Did you take in more or less caffeine than you would have predicted? Review how cells form adenosine. (Hint: What does "ATP" stand for?) Research recent work on adenosine and its role in sleep. What regions of the brain are involved in sleep? Find out how much caffeine is present in a typical cup of coffee. How does this compare to the amount in a cup of tea or a can of cola?
Recommended Textbooks
Psychology Openstax
Myers' Psychology for AP
Psychology
Transcript
18,000,000+
Students on Numerade
Trusted by students at 8,000+ universities
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD