Biomedical Science Camp

Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN)  PTEN is a protein in humans that functions as a tumor  suppressor and a metabolic regulator by promoting COX activity and ATP production. This intercellular protein acts  as a dual-specificity protein phosphatase and a lipid phosphatase deleted on the 10th chromosome. It is expressed  at a relatively high level in all adult tissues, including the heart, brain, liver, kidney, and pancreas. When PTEN is  mutated at high frequency, it results in genetic aberrations consisting of mutations.        Background PTEN mutations most commonly result in breast cancer . Breast cancer can spread when the  cancer cells get into the blood or lymph system and then get carried to other parts of the body. There are many  different types of breast cancer, the most common being carcinomas. This means the cancer starts in cells that  make up the tissue lining organs. PTEN is one of these cells. PTEN is associated with progression of breast  cancer through many ways:

MYC Oncogene The MYC gene encodes a phosphoprotein that plays a role in a variety of cellular processes, including the  cell cycle, cell growth, apoptosis, and cellular metabolism . The gene is located in the long q arm of  chromosome 8  and in the  nucleoplasm  of a cell. It belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix zipper class of transcription factors functioning in the developmental processes. It enforces DNA replication and entry into the S phase of the cell cycle by the expression of  cyclins  and represses kinases inhibitors  p21 and p27 . Through checkpoints, it is restrained from causing tumorigenesis through proliferative arrest, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest (or cellular senescence). In human cancer, it is frequently observed to be highly amplified, being one of the most amplified oncogenes compared to others. Translocations involving the MYC gene are associated with Burkitt lymphoma , where cancer starts in immune cells called B-cells . The mutation results in the constituti

Neurofibromin 1  (NF1) NF1 is a tumor suppressor gene located on chromosome 17 with 61 exons that serves the role of producing a specific type of protein known as neurofibromin. The neurofibromin protein can be found in various cells, such as nerve cells and oligodendrocytes. This protein is tasked with the important job of regulating cell growth, and making sure cells are multiplying at a normal pace. It does this by directly regulating a different protein known as RAS , which accelerates and promotes cell division and growth when turned on.    Related Diseases Due to NF1’s important role as a tumor suppressor gene, a mutation can cause serious problems and allow several diseases to develop. One example of this is Neurofibromatosis Type 1, a disease that can be induced from over 1,000 different NF1 mutations. The majority of NF1 mutations originate from a missense mutation , and result in a malfunctioning, shortened form of neurofibromin that lacks the capabilities to fully suppress

MOVEMENT   This work was done as a part of Summer Program at Elio Academy of Biomedical Sciences . Author : Riyaa Sri Ramanathan The central nervous system — brain and spinal cord — directs the coordinated actions of the hundreds of muscles that enable humans to move. The nervous system governs motion by controlling the structures of the body that produce movement — the muscles. Most muscles attach to the skeleton and span joints , the sites where two or more bones come together. The relationship of the muscles with the skeleton is called skeletal muscles . Activating muscles can either flex or extend the joint that they span. Muscles that bend a joint, bringing the bones closer together, are called flexors ; muscles that straighten the joint, increasing the angle between the bones, are called extensors .   Flexors and extensors work in opposition, so when one set of muscles contracts, the other relaxes. For example, bending the elbow requires contraction of the biceps (a fle

TASTE AND SMELL  This work was done as a part of Summer Program at Elio Academy of Biomedical Sciences . Author : Riyaa Sri Ramanathan     Sense of taste is called gustation while the sense of smell is called olfaction . Just as sound is the perception of air pressure waves, sight is the perception of light, smell and taste are the perceptions of tiny molecules in the air and in the food. Both of these senses contribute to how food tastes, and are important for survival thereby enabling people to detect hazardous substances that might be inhaled or ingested.  The cells processing taste and smell are exposed to the outside environment, leaving them vulnerable to damage. As a result of this, taste receptor cells and olfactory receptor neurons regularly regenerate. In fact, olfactory neurons are the only sensory neurons that are continually replaced throughout peoples’ lives. Ability to taste food occurs as molecules are released during chewing or drinking. These molecules are

H earing  This work was done as a part of Summer Program at Elio Academy of Biomedical Sciences . Author : Riyaa Sri Ramanathan     Human h earing is one of the most important senses, central to social interactions. Communication within one another happens by processing and interpreting complex messages in the form of speech sounds. Hearing (auditory) system picks up several qualities of signals it detects, such as a sound’s pitch, loudness, duration, and location. Auditory system also analyzes complex sounds, breaking them into separate components or frequencies. Process of hearing happens in a more incremental way. Hearing involves a series of steps that convert sound waves in the air into electrical signals that are carried to the brain by nerve cells. Sound in the form of air pressure waves reaches the pinnae of the ears, where the waves are funneled into each ear canal to reach the eardrum , also known as tympanic membrane . The eardrum vibrates in response to these

Senses - Vision This work was done as a part of Summer Program at Elio Academy of Biomedical Sciences . Author : Riyaa Sri Ramanathan Sense organs turn stimuli into electrical signals through a process called transduction . These electrical messages are carried through a network of cells and fibers to specialized areas of the brain. These impulses are then processed and integrated into a seamless perception of the surroundings.   V ision is one of the most complicated senses, involving many processes that work simultaneously enabling to see what is around. Vision has been studied intensively, and knowledge of how light energy is converted into electrical signals comes primarily from the studies of fruit flies, Drosophila Melanogaster and mice. Higher Level visual processing has mostly been studied in monkeys and cats. Beauty of sight, the perception of image and translating it into objects involves the process of vision. And the organ eye does it via several functions. Li

  Neuroscience in Society This work was done as a part of Summer Program at Elio Academy of Biomedical Sciences . Author : Riyaa Sri Ramanathan     Neuro-Law Drug and addiction plays a vital role in most of the crimes. In the last few decades, the American prison population has grown by about 500 percent, largely because of drug-related arrests. Drug use affects the brain and is associated with significant changes to the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC). PFC is a part of the brain that manages impulse control and suppressing cravings. Structural and Chemical changes in the PFC can create difficulties in drug resistance. Seen this way, constant drug use is defined as a symptom of a disease called addiction rather than a toxic habit. Judicial system is working towards decision making and punishment in the crimes that involve drug users and addictive behaviors. While neuroscience deals with patients having complications in the brain, Neurolaw deals with concerns in legal punishments