Eric Shine
Engineering Biomedical Systems
July 31, 2008
Artificial Blood
Tissue engineering is a broad field of engineering that deals with a combination of cells, and engineering methods that are used to improve of replace biological functions. An application of tissue that could help improves or replaces biological functioning would be the creation of artificial blood. Blood is a very complicated tissue. Blood contains two main components plasma and the formed elements. To add further complexity the formed elements are made up of RBCs (red blood cells), WBCs (white blood cells), and platelets. Along with blood being the transportation system of the body, blood comes in four different types: A, B, AB, and O. Since blood Artificial blood would help traumatic brain injuries, which is a leading cause in accidental death. Even though blood is very complex engineers and scientist have made a type of artificial blood called Oxycyte. Oxycyte is a revolutionary artificial blood because it can carry 50 times more oxygen than human blood. This synthetic blood is step in making blood transfusions and other types of blood related problems a thing of the past.
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2006-11/better-blood
http://health.howstuffworks.com/artificial-blood1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissue_engineering#Examples_of_tissue_engineering_technologies
Showing posts with label Eric Shine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eric Shine. Show all posts
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
interesting article about artificial joints
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/business/29hip.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Eric Shine
Engineering Biomedical Systems
July 23, 2008
The brain doesn't grow new cells
There is a common belief in our society that our brains do not regenerate neurons. It has always been thought that we are born with all of the brain cells we re ever going to have (all 100 billion or so). Also that a human brain cannot regenerate brain cells in adulthood and that memory works by the growth of axon and dendrite connections. This idea of neurogenisis has been supported by years of research by neuroscientist. According to a study done by Princeton neuroscientists they used chemical tracers in an adult macaque monkey brain to track brain activity. The researchers found a rim-like layer of stem cells that covered over the ventricles of the brain. Theses stem cells produced as steady stream of neurons, which floated to the cortex of the brain, specifically the frontal lobe and parietal lobe. As an extension to this research, these neuroscientists want to be able to control the placement of these neurons to help treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But, to be able to do this research, neurogenisis needs to be confirmed in humans.
More and more research is being done in this evolving field of neurogenisis. Some scientist even believe that neurogenisis occurs more efficiently under certain environmental conditions, more nutrients for cell growth. Even though the full effects of neurogenisis has not been understood, scientist are making ground breaking discoveries to understand more about the brain.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurogenesis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061223092924.htm
http://www.brainlightning.com/regen.html
Engineering Biomedical Systems
July 23, 2008
The brain doesn't grow new cells
There is a common belief in our society that our brains do not regenerate neurons. It has always been thought that we are born with all of the brain cells we re ever going to have (all 100 billion or so). Also that a human brain cannot regenerate brain cells in adulthood and that memory works by the growth of axon and dendrite connections. This idea of neurogenisis has been supported by years of research by neuroscientist. According to a study done by Princeton neuroscientists they used chemical tracers in an adult macaque monkey brain to track brain activity. The researchers found a rim-like layer of stem cells that covered over the ventricles of the brain. Theses stem cells produced as steady stream of neurons, which floated to the cortex of the brain, specifically the frontal lobe and parietal lobe. As an extension to this research, these neuroscientists want to be able to control the placement of these neurons to help treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But, to be able to do this research, neurogenisis needs to be confirmed in humans.
More and more research is being done in this evolving field of neurogenisis. Some scientist even believe that neurogenisis occurs more efficiently under certain environmental conditions, more nutrients for cell growth. Even though the full effects of neurogenisis has not been understood, scientist are making ground breaking discoveries to understand more about the brain.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurogenesis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061223092924.htm
http://www.brainlightning.com/regen.html
Friday, July 18, 2008
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