Biology Week 14: Which Way Forward

I chose to do my research report on gut flora and its role in immunity because I feel it's a hot topic has effected not only us, but the generations to follow. I worry about the effects of taking probiotic supplements, to make up for our general lack of flora as a people, because like everything else, we don't know the long term effects of taking processed probiotic in supplement form. Unfortunately I think we may have dug ourselves into a hole that will take a lot more that probiotics to get out of. Personally, I do take probiotic supplements because I know my gut is lacking the flora it needs, but I try my best to also avoid antibiotics and to eat foods that are rich in probiotic. I also plan on giving birth vaginally and breast feeding in order to help our future generations that will deal even harder with our flora issue.

Biology Week 13: Antioxidants and Free Radicals

The use of vitamins and supplements has always kind of frightened me because it's a natural thought process for me to view synthetic things as not so good for one's body. I'm extremely sensitive to things that are processed and it would only make sense that processed vitamins would be the same. The more we get back to our roots and the less we rely on quick fixes, the better health we will see.

Taking aspirin to reduce cancer risk is a hard one. On one hand, aspirin can be pretty dangerous. For one, it's bad for your stomach and synthetic but two, aspirin has been known to exhaserbate some forms of cancer. So although it could reduce the risk of some, it could increase the risk of others. It's important consumers know both sides. I am not against or for aspirin on a whole, especially because I take synthetic pills for my own disease too, so who am I to say to what's right or wrong for someone. I think the real issue here is that patients have a lack of education about what they are taking and its effects.

Biology Week 12: Vaccination and Public Health

I was gone for the class discussion revolving around vaccination but I would be interested in hearing the classes opinions. There are so many sides to vaccinating. I know that vaccinating has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but at what cost in the long run? Finding out that there are things like aluminum and mercury in the shots points to cancer, and makes me wonder how many cancer deaths have been a direct result of vaccinations. It's also so scary how many we give people. I think we definitely take it too far, with the average person receiving 24 vaccinations, because our medical system is based on money making. I think that "herd vaccination" is an interesting concept. It must be frustrating for some, that certain diseases cannot be eradicated simply because a few people decide not to vaccinate. But this also makes me question the purpose of disease. Maybe it is here for a reason we are not seeing, and by eradicating, we could be just causing more damage. Who knows.



Virus structures are so interesting and SO creepy!!!




I'm not sure if they're going to take over the world, or if they already have!! Either way, their structure and function just seems like a scary scifi film. Did you know that some viruses can enter an animals brain, and then can instruct the animal to commit suicide so that the virus can live happily ever after?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!