Let's Learn about Hemochromatosis!
I came across this fact while studying a few minutes ago and thought it was pretty cool. I knew about the disease already, but never knew about the airports!
"Hemochromatosis is a disease caused by the buildup of hemosiderin (iron) in the body.
In these patients, the Total Body Iron content may reach 50 grams.....enough to set off metal detectors at airports."
Here is a really good link to the CDC's page about Hemochromatosis. It's not too technical, and it has some good information about getting tested for the disease (it runs in families) and how it's treated (treatment is phlebotomy-- the same procedure as when you donate blood).
Figure to the Right: Some crazy sketch I found on Google Images that made me laugh a little..
Figure Below: The main events in the causation of Hemochromatosis
Studying Begins...
Today marks the beginning of my official studying for USMLE Step 1.
I thought I would kick things off for everyone with just one simple concept to memorize for the test. This will get you one....maybe two...answers on the entire 8-hour-long exam.
Click on the image to view it in all its glory so you can see every wonderful enzyme.
Study hard--there will be a pop quiz tomorrow!
I thought I would kick things off for everyone with just one simple concept to memorize for the test. This will get you one....maybe two...answers on the entire 8-hour-long exam.
Click on the image to view it in all its glory so you can see every wonderful enzyme.
Study hard--there will be a pop quiz tomorrow!
Clowns Eating Lunch
I ate lunch at Children's Hospital today and had to snap a quick camera pic of two bright-pink clowns that sat nearby.
Eye movements in Autism
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that becomes appearant early in life. These children (and adults) struggle daily with this disorder's effects on social functioning, including language and communication, learning, and unusual behavioral patterns.
An interesting study focused on understanding some of the ways that autism affects a person's view of the world, and how that in turn can make social situations so dreadfully complicated for them.
Interpretation of social situations often requires your eyes to "scan" or search another person's face for clues to what that other person is thinking, saying, or feeling.
The figure below, taken from this study, shows the importance of understanding the manner in which the speakers are conversing, rather than just what the speakers are saying.
This is crucial to understanding social scenerios, and is the reason why people with autism have such a hard time in public.
Figure: Visual Focus of an Autistic Man (Red tracing) and a Normal Comparison Subject (Yellow tracing) when shown a film clip portraying a flirtatious exchange
From the Article: "The figure shows the visual
scanning paths of the two participants during this 7-
second shot. The data are shown collapsed onto one still
image. From the scanning pattern in this figure, the viewer
with autism (red path) seemed not to understand the inviting,
flirtatious nature of the interaction—or the impact
of these behaviors on Martha’s husband in the back, since
he did not once glance at the action in the background. In
contrast, the normal comparison viewer’s visual scanning
does track the important social clues."
An interesting study focused on understanding some of the ways that autism affects a person's view of the world, and how that in turn can make social situations so dreadfully complicated for them.
Interpretation of social situations often requires your eyes to "scan" or search another person's face for clues to what that other person is thinking, saying, or feeling.
The figure below, taken from this study, shows the importance of understanding the manner in which the speakers are conversing, rather than just what the speakers are saying.
This is crucial to understanding social scenerios, and is the reason why people with autism have such a hard time in public.
Figure: Visual Focus of an Autistic Man (Red tracing) and a Normal Comparison Subject (Yellow tracing) when shown a film clip portraying a flirtatious exchangeFrom the Article: "The figure shows the visual
scanning paths of the two participants during this 7-
second shot. The data are shown collapsed onto one still
image. From the scanning pattern in this figure, the viewer
with autism (red path) seemed not to understand the inviting,
flirtatious nature of the interaction—or the impact
of these behaviors on Martha’s husband in the back, since
he did not once glance at the action in the background. In
contrast, the normal comparison viewer’s visual scanning
does track the important social clues."
Defining and Quantifying the Social Phenotype in Autism
Am J Psychiatry 159:6, June 2002
Am J Psychiatry 159:6, June 2002
The Historical Perspective of the Spleen
The spleen was felt by the ancient Greeks and Romans to play a sig
nificant role in human physiology. Aristotle thought that the spleen was on the left side of the body as a counterweight to the right-sided liver.1 He believed that the spleen was important in drawing off "residual humors" from the stomach. The spleen was also felt to "hinder a man's running," and Pliny reportedly claimed that "professed runners in the race that bee troubled with the splene, have a devise to burne and waste it with a hot yron [AKA they burned it away by jabbing themselves in their left flank with a hot iron] ."2
The exceptional speed of giraffes was felt to be related to the erroneous belief that giraffes were asplenic [without a spleen]. Early references to removal of the spleen to increase speed make it apparent that it has
long been known that the spleen is not absolutely necessary to sustain life.
[PS- A study in 1992 in rats confirmed that after their spleens were removed they could indeed run faster]
nificant role in human physiology. Aristotle thought that the spleen was on the left side of the body as a counterweight to the right-sided liver.1 He believed that the spleen was important in drawing off "residual humors" from the stomach. The spleen was also felt to "hinder a man's running," and Pliny reportedly claimed that "professed runners in the race that bee troubled with the splene, have a devise to burne and waste it with a hot yron [AKA they burned it away by jabbing themselves in their left flank with a hot iron] ."2The exceptional speed of giraffes was felt to be related to the erroneous belief that giraffes were asplenic [without a spleen]. Early references to removal of the spleen to increase speed make it apparent that it has
long been known that the spleen is not absolutely necessary to sustain life.
[PS- A study in 1992 in rats confirmed that after their spleens were removed they could indeed run faster]
The Amazing Phone Ride
So I got to school this morning and realized that my new (AKA expensive) cell phone was no longer on my hip.
I had a feeling that it fell off this morning as I wiped Heather's windshield with a towel to remove the frost/dew so that she could see well on her drive to work (which is about an hour trip each way).
I left school and drove back home as fast as I could to try and find my phone before someone else would find it and become the proud new owner.
No luck. I searched everywhere in the parking lot. Multiple times.
I just knew it was gone for good. I caught Heather on Google Chat to tell her that I lost my phone.
After talking to me, she went out to the Faculty parking lot, looked at her car, and found my phone on her windshield wiper!
It survived an hour-long drive on the interstate without falling off.
Amazing.
I had a feeling that it fell off this morning as I wiped Heather's windshield with a towel to remove the frost/dew so that she could see well on her drive to work (which is about an hour trip each way).
I left school and drove back home as fast as I could to try and find my phone before someone else would find it and become the proud new owner.
No luck. I searched everywhere in the parking lot. Multiple times.
I just knew it was gone for good. I caught Heather on Google Chat to tell her that I lost my phone.
After talking to me, she went out to the Faculty parking lot, looked at her car, and found my phone on her windshield wiper!
It survived an hour-long drive on the interstate without falling off.
Amazing.
Sharing the Wealth....
Of Knowledge.
I've decided to return to the basics with this blog: to document my experiences in life AND in medicine. The majority of pre-clinical medical education revolves around memorizing and understanding hundreds of thousands of minutia about biochemistry, physiology, and histology/pathology of disease. As you can understand, I decided long ago that you, my few but dedicated readers, wouldn't want to be bored to death reading a blog about that stuff. You want something interesting, something that can be read relatively quickly, and something memorable. You don't want to feel like you're studying for a test the next day.
HERE'S the good news! Every now and then there are some really interesting medical topics and mechanisms of disease, and I decided this weekend that I should be sharing this cool stuff with you!
Let me know what you think, and also let me know if there are any medical diseases or random questions you would like me to investigate or answer (for example: Heather asked me the other night if I could explain why a baby's eyes are blue during the first few weeks of life. We both knew that it happens in babies, but we didn't know the biological reasons behind it. So, I looked in 3 of my textbooks to finally come across the answer. It will be one of my next few posts.....)
I've decided to return to the basics with this blog: to document my experiences in life AND in medicine. The majority of pre-clinical medical education revolves around memorizing and understanding hundreds of thousands of minutia about biochemistry, physiology, and histology/pathology of disease. As you can understand, I decided long ago that you, my few but dedicated readers, wouldn't want to be bored to death reading a blog about that stuff. You want something interesting, something that can be read relatively quickly, and something memorable. You don't want to feel like you're studying for a test the next day.
HERE'S the good news! Every now and then there are some really interesting medical topics and mechanisms of disease, and I decided this weekend that I should be sharing this cool stuff with you!
Let me know what you think, and also let me know if there are any medical diseases or random questions you would like me to investigate or answer (for example: Heather asked me the other night if I could explain why a baby's eyes are blue during the first few weeks of life. We both knew that it happens in babies, but we didn't know the biological reasons behind it. So, I looked in 3 of my textbooks to finally come across the answer. It will be one of my next few posts.....)
