Writing in Biology

Jaguars are an endangered species which through poaching and habitat loss, populations began to fall in the mid 1900s. Human development has also hindered their populations, between building expansions and an increase in agricultural fields. Conservation should give this species top priority because jaguar populations continue to decline and suffer as a direct result of human impact. Jaguars help keep a balance in the food chain as a top predator, as they help to control populations of subspecies. Ecology can help conserve this species through the protection and conservation of designated habitat patches and corridors so that jaguars may be allowed space and ability to survive and grow. Providing protection for the connectivity between different landscapes will allow the jaguars to be able to expand their population gene pool, which will then in turn create a healthier, more stable population. Ecology itself will allow humans to better understand changes in populations, and how more space will allow for increased population growth. Ecology cannot help with the politics and law behind creating these protected habitat patches and preventing further illegal poaching and deforestation. It also cannot account for the enormous financial expenses that would be required to conserve these patches.

    Children with autism have lower levels of autism, which is partially the reason why autistic children have a hard time with being social. Oxytocin is a peptide hormone that is produced in the hypothalamus. Oxytocin plays a role in social bonding and sexual reproduction. Scientists attempted to answer the question of whether having autistic children take an oxytocin spray and whether if it would be able to increase their social behavior. A factor scientists have to consider is that hormone levels change throughout the day. Which would mean that the behavior of the children could also change along with the hormone levels. Scientists had found that the spray does work, but only on children with lower levels of oxytocin to being with.

Botox is a form of botulinum toxin, which is a neurotoxin produced by the bacteria botulinum. When this toxin is injected into a certain area it temporarily reduces muscle contractions as it blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission. Botox is often used cosmetically, but many have found that those suffering from chronic migraines could benefit from this treatment. In 2010, the FDA approved of the use of medicinal botox on patients suffering of chronic migraines, those who had headaches for more than 15 days a month. Botox has been found to prevent migraines before they begin, but it does take some time for the botox to settle in, but treatments often last up to 10 weeks and can be covered by insurance companies. 

Asking people to take pictures of me in my neighborhood was a learning experience. Although it may not be considered “deviant behavior” in some eyes, it did in fact deviate from the social norm by taking people out of their comfort zone to act in a way they normally wouldn’t. The variety of reactions that I encountered shows that everyone is different. Some groups of people are more reluctant to break the social norm whereas other groups of people are completely unfazed by it. I suppose the right response depends on the situation at hand. In any case, I now realize that it takes a conscious effort to go against the social norm because of the social pressures that come with being seen as a deviant.

A cognitive distortion that a person who has panic disorder may experience falls under the idea of "all-or-nothing thinking." All or nothing thinking is when an individual looks at something as all goods or all bads with no in between. People with panic disorder often see themselves as overly nervous or frazzled. When they see themselves this way they go without noticing the times they're calm, cool, and collected. They will either see themselves as a huge success or a huge failure.

Peripheral neuropathy refers to the damage of the nerves and the damage to the peripheral nervous system. Damage to these nerves can result from trauma injuries, infections and metabolic issues. Patients with peripheral neuropathy seem to experience symptoms distally and works its way up. Symptoms include feeling of pins and needles, pain in hands and feet, burning, loss of balance, numbness and tingling. There are a variety of classifications and about 100 types have been found. Peripheral neuropathy usually affects all nerves at the same degree of damage. Some causes could also be due to autoimmune diseases, alcoholism and vitamin deficiency. 

Initial migraines that females experience are due to hormonal imbalances during puberty. The imbalances in hormones can cause an toll on overall health, social life and school work. A solution that may work is birth control, which can be used to balance the hormonal levels. Migraines can occur due to low levels of progesterone in adolescent females. Progesterone is a hormone that fluctuates during the menstrual cycle. Scientists had found that two thirds of women have migraines before their menstrual cycle, due to progesterone imbalances. Hormones can vary depending on the time such as days and months. The patterns of hormone flow can affect the person differently depending on how much of an imbalance there is.