Conduct an internet search to find an interesting example of genetic engineering.

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In the past 25 years, we have learned a lot about DNA, and are now able to manipulate genes.  Plants are genetically modified to possess desirable traits such as resistance to disease and to grow with less water and fertilizer.  There are even certain Idaho potatoes that all grow to the same size, so McDonald’s french fries are the same length!  Human genes are inserted into bacteria to inexpensively produce drugs that treat diseases.  Soon, non-life threatening cosmetic changes will be available for those who can afford them.
Conduct an internet search to find an interesting example of genetic engineering.  Then, summarize what you discovered in about 200 words. Do not copy and paste or plagiarize in any way.

What is the scientific community doing to attempt to eliminate the most common forms of cancer that are ravaging society?

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The global community is plagued by increasing incidence of leukemia; non-Hodgkin lymphoma; lung, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, prostate, liver, ovarian, and esophageal cancers. Other types of cancer exist but are less frequent. What is the scientific community doing to attempt to eliminate the most common forms of cancer that are ravaging society?
1. Read the course textbook’s chapter on cell division, specifically the last section on how cells become cancerous. This is context for completing Individual Assignment 3.
2. Watch the Presentation in Module/Week 4 entitled “Ways to Fight Cancer.” Notice that the presentation outlines essentially 3 approaches to fighting cancer: a) reduction of cancer risks, b) correction of cancer genes, and c) destruction of cancerous tissue.
3. Open the “10 Discoveries in the War on Cancer” document in the Assignment Instructions folder. Scan the discoveries briefly. Then, open the assignment submission link in Module/Week 9. In the text box, number from 1 to 10 for the 10 discoveries.
4. Reflect carefully on discovery 1. Would this discovery be more useful for a) reducing cancer risks, b) correcting/restoring cancer cells to normal, or c) destroying cancerous tissue? After number 1 in your list, place in parentheses the letter representing the approach to fighting cancer that will best be served by this new discovery. (More than 1 approach may be served, but which is most likely to be helped most significantly?)
5. Repeat this analysis for each of the remaining 9 discoveries. Return to the “Ways to Fight Cancer” presentation as needed for additional perspective. When finished, your entire text box must be simple: a numbered (1–10) list of letters (a), (b) or (c). The assignment is now complete.
6. Each correct association up to 8 correct answers is granted 7 points. If you get 9 or 10 out of 10, you get a perfect score (60 pts.) on the assignment.
Submit this assignment by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 4.

Suggest the best treatment for the patient and a plan to prevent recurrence post-treatment.

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A 45-year-old grocery sales clerk has been suffering from bouts of severe pain in his left flank region. He blamed it on prolonged standing for 8 hours straight while working. He was taking over-the-counter pain medications for his pain. One day, he found fresh blood in his urine. He went to a doctor who performed urine tests, CT scans, and x-rays. He was diagnosed with urinary calculi.
Discuss possible factors that may have been responsible for the development of the stone and use this case to show how the patient’s diet and water intake can help analyze the composition of the calculi.
What would be the test results of his white blood cells, blood calcium levels, CT scan, and x-ray?
Suggest the best treatment for the patient and a plan to prevent recurrence post-treatment.

What biases might exist to keep pharmaceuticals on the market after they are approved by the FDA?

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 What do YOU think about Zicam?

  • -If Zicam had  detrimental side effects, how did it get approved to be sold?
  • -Why do you think the makers of Zicam switched their active ingredients in the nasal spray to one already used in Afrin and other OTC medicines?
  • -What biases might exist to keep pharmaceuticals on the market after they are approved by the FDA?

2.  Your Uncle Billy calls you saying he is thinking about moving to Los Angeles, but is worried about the air quality because he saw the following report. Air pollution in the Los Angeles area is characterized by a decrease in visibility, crop damage, eye irritation, objectionable odor, and rubber deterioration. These effects are attributed to the release of large quantities of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere. The photochemical action of nitrogen oxides oxidizes the hydrocarbons and thereby forms ozone, responsible for rubber cracking. Under experimental conditions, organic peroxides formed in the vapor phase oxidation of hydrocarbons have been shown to give eye irritation and crop damage resembling closely that observed on smog days.

  • -Explain the above description to your Uncle Billie in your own words, in a way that he (a barber from Okemos) would understand.  Connect the concepts to at least a couple of ideas that Uncle Billy could reasonably know about.
  • Compare and contrast the accuracy of your explanation with that of the original.

3.  Find a visual about a topic you find interesting.  Use the three-step process to understand the image (1. Interpret a point, 2. Identify as many trends as possible, 3. Interpret the overall message of the visual), regardless of whether or not it is a scatter plot.  Did this system work for your visual, why or why not?