Medicine and Cures

Generally, the ability to appear in many forms. In  object-oriented programming ,  polymorphism  refers to a  programming language's  ability to process objects differently depending on their  data type  or  class . More specifically, it is the ability to redefine  methods  for  derived classes.  For example, given a base class  shape,  polymorphism enables the programmer to define different  area  methods for any number of derived classes, such as circles, rectangles and triangles. No matter what shape an object is, applying the  area  method to it will return the correct results. Polymorphism is considered to be a requirement of any true object-oriented programming language (OOPL).

Gene  expression  is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein coding  genes  such as rRNA genes or tRNA genes, the product is a functional RNA . The process of gene expression is used by all known life - eukaryotes (including multicellular organisms), prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) and  viruses  - to generate the macromolecular machinery for life. Gene structure and  gene  expression in higher organisms Several steps in the gene expression process may be modulated, including the transcription, RNA splicing, translation, and post-translational modification of a protein. Gene regulation gives the cell control over structure and function, and is the basis for cellular differentiation, morphogenesis and the versatility and adaptability of any organism. Gene regulation may also serve as a substrate for evolutionary change, sin...

Serotonin, also known as  5-hydroxytryptamine  is a hormone in the pineal gland, the digestive tract, the central nervous system, and blood platelets. A hormone is a substance our body produces that regulates and controls the activity of certain cells or organs. The molecular formula of serotonin is C 10 H 12 N 2 O. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter - this is a chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses across the space between nerve cells or neurons. We call these spaces synapses. Serotonin plays an important part in the regulation of learning, mood, sleep and vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels). Experts say serotonin also might have a role in  anxiety ,  migraine , vomiting and appetite. Alterations in serotonin levels in the brain may affect mood. Some  antidepressant  medications affect the action of serotonin, i.e. they are used to treat  depression . About 80% of our body's total serotonin is in the gut, in the enterochromaffin ...

here are other factors aside from genetics and environment that can increase potential for addiction. Research has shown that the faster a drug can reach the brain, the more likely it is to be addicting. Different methods of delivery-smoking, injecting, or snorting- largely influence how quickly a drug finds the brain. Delivery methods become an important factor when ranking the addiction potential of a drug. The fastest way to get a drug to the brain is by smoking it. When a drug like tobacco smoke is taken into the lungs, nicotine (the addictive chemical in tobacco) seeps into lung blood where it can quickly travel to the brain. This fast delivery is one reason smoking cigarettes is so addicting. Injecting a drug directly into a blood vessel is the second fastest way to get a drug to the brain, followed by snorting or sniffing it through the nose. The slowest mode of delivery is by ingestion, such as drinking alcohol. The effects of alcohol take many minutes rather than a few se...

Oxidative stress  is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage. All forms of life maintain a reducing environment within their cells. This reducing environment is preserved by enzymes that maintain the reduced state through a constant input of metabolic energy. Disturbances in this normal redox state can cause toxic effects through the production of peroxides and free radicals that damage all components of the cell, including proteins,  lipids , and  DNA . In humans, oxidative stress is involved in many diseases, such as  atherosclerosis , Parkinson's disease ,  heart failure , myocardial infarction,  Alzheimer's disease ,  fragile X syndrome  and  chronic fatigue syndrome , but short-term oxidative stress may also be important in prevention of aging by induction of a process named mitohormesis...

Clinical trials are research studies that test how well new medical approaches work in people. Each study answers scientific questions and tries to find better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose or treat a disease. Clinical trials may also compare a new treatment to a treatment that is already available. Every clinical trial has a protocol, or action plan, for conducting the trial. The plan describes what will be done in the study, how it will be conducted, and why each part of the study is necessary. Each study has its own rules about who can participate. Some studies need volunteers with a certain disease. Some need healthy people. Others want just men or just women. In the United States, an independent committee of physicians, statisticians and members of the community must approve and monitor the protocol. They make sure that the risks are small and are worth the potential benefits. NIH: National Institutes of Health

Definition of  ANIMAL MODEL :  an animal sufficiently like humans in its anatomy, physiology, or response to a pathogen to be used in medical research in order to obtain results that can be extrapolated to human medicine;  also   :  a pathological or physiological condition that occurs in such an animal and is similar (as in its pathology or physiology) to a human condition  <experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is a useful  animal model  in the study of multiple sclerosis in humans