Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy

Prion disease, also known as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), was first seen in 1902 within a linguistic group in Papa New Guinea, called the Fore. This human form of prion disease is called kuru and around the 1950’s, it proved to be untreatable and always fatal to those infected by it. At its peak, kuru reached epidemic levels as 200 new cases of kuru were reported annually during the mid-1950’s, contributing to greatly to its death toll of 3000 people (Goldfarb, 2002). The Fore

Disease Can you imagine the impact of a fatal disease on a population? Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD for short, is a prime example in the whitetail deer herd. CWD is a fatal neurological disease, more specifically known as a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). In deer, this disease causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals, resulting in emaciation, excessive drinking and urination, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions, and death (Witkowski

DISEASE (KROYTZ-felt YAH-kub) (CJD), originally discovered in 1920 by Hans Gerhard Creutzfeld and Alfons Maria Jacob, is also known by several other names: transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE); acquired (vCJD or iCJD) ; sporadic (sCJD); familial (fCJD); Jacob-Creutzfeldt disease; Mad Cow Disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). (pg. 369 Biology). To allay confusion, the disease will be referred to as classic Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (CJD) unless otherwise noted. (CAUSE

Cannibalism is an act that is thought to be terrible and inconceivable in the minds of people. But, contrary to what many people think, cannibalism is very much alive and still being practiced within many countries including The United States of America; it’s just that the government hasn't found out about it yet. This paper will take you through cannibalism’s history, the different types of cannibalism, and its different cases. Cannibalism is one of the strangest and most horrific American restrictions

Have you ever heard of the Holocene extinction? Well, I’m sorry to break the news to you but we are in the middle of the Sixth Great Extinction of our planet, “an event characterized by the loss of between 17,000 and 100,000 species each year” (Biodiversity, 2013). Today, I want to inform you about diseases, which is one of the lesser-known aspects of extinction and wildlife conservation. I am knowledgeable on this topic due to a considerable amount of scholarly, research, and from firsthand experience

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a host-coded glycoprotein attached to the surface of the cell membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. PrPC binds copper with high affinity and is highly expressed on the surface of neuronal and glial cells (Prusiner, 1998; Sales et al., 1998). Although PrPC presumably plays a role in the neuropathology and transmissibility of prion diseases by undergoing a conformational change into an abnormal protease-resistant isoform (PrPSc) (Caughey and

Our prehistoric ancestors practiced cannibalism not because of cultural expectations, but for survival. Our oldest taboo has been the source of many debates, with researchers having different ideas about why our ancestors would partake in such a barbaric activity. Evidence of this practice can be found throughout the world, but in some cases the reasons differ. This presents a difficult question to be answered, did our prehistoric ancestors practice cannibalism for ritual purposes or for survival

Prions are infectious protein agents that cause aggregation of the peptide PrPC and form large amyloid fibrils. These fibrils resist proteoysis and can have a detrimental effect of the functionality of cells and ultimately cause their death. (3). Misfolded PrPC will form stable aggregates denoted as PrPSc. PrPC is a soluble protein that is present in all organism whose function is still not totally clear (3). When PrPc converts to PrPSc there is an increase in the number of β sheets in the protein

humans could also contract the disease by ingesting the brain matter of cows. The epidemic was dealt with by changing the feeding practices the European meat industry used to feed their cows. Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease is the variant of spongiform encephalopathy that infects humans. It can be contracted from eating the contaminated brain matter of cows. Contraction of the disease is specific to the brain matter – consuming only muscle tissue from a steak poses no risk of contamination. The disease

show that the act of cannibalism has began the pattern of deadly prions that slowly begin to eat away at your brain and cause many life long diseases for many generations. This is all caused by a deadly little prion, which can be referred to as Spongiform Encephalies (Kuru: The Dynamics of a Prion Disease: Dr. Bindon), causes the brain to become spongy and have holes while dterteating the neurological functions along with the body (Kuru: The Dynamics of a Prion Disease: Dr. Bindon). Prions are able