A Short Note On The Loss Of Myelin Essay - 1214 Words

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). (3) MS is an inflammatory demyelinating condition. This means it is caused by damage to myelin – a fatty material that insulates nerves, acting much like the covering of an electric wire. Myelin allows a nerve to transmit its impulses rapidly. It is the speed and efficiency with which these impulses are conducted that permits smooth, rapid and coordinated movements to be performed with little conscious effort. (3) In MS, the loss of myelin (demyelination) is accompanied by a disruption in the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain. This produces the various symptoms of MS. The sites where myelin is lost (plaques or lesions) appear as hardened (scar) areas: in multiple sclerosis these scars appear at different times and in different areas of the brain and spinal cord. The term multiple sclerosis means ‘many scars’. (3) There are about 2.3 million people in the world with MS, although the number may be much higher as it is likely that many people with MS remain undiagnosed in certain parts of the world. (1) Although MS is found in all parts of the world, its prevalence varies greatly, being highest in North America and Europe, and lowest in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. It is almost unheard of in certain populations such as the Inuits, New Zealand Maoris and Australian Aborigines. (1) MS affects at leastShow MoreRelatedHow Myelin Affects The Body s Immune System Targets The Central Nervous System1639 Words   |  7 PagesSociety, 2016). The main target in MS is myelin, the substance that protects the nerve fibers within the central nervous system (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2016). By attacking the myelin MS causes inflammation and damage to the myelin itself (MS Society of Canada, 2016). Myelin is the main source of transportation for nerve impulses; this is done through the nerve fibres that are protected by the myelin (MS Society of Canada, 2016). If the myelin is only slightly damaged the nerve impulsesRead MoreEssay about Multiple Sclerosis2621 Words   |  11 Pagesstructurally and by controlling the passage of substances into the cells. Together these cells form an insulating layer around the neurons called the myelin sheath. This myelin sheath is similar to the rubber which coats the wires of your telephone. Yet in a person with Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system mistakenly identifies some component of myelin as a foreign agent, or antigen. This elicits an auto-immune response in which the body attacks and slowly destroys this protective covering and replacesRead MoreSymptoms And Progression Of Multiple Sclerosis1976 Words   |  8 Pagesthe last two decades with higher incidences overall, probably due to longer life expectancy worldwide (Hunter, 2016). The disease usually presents between the ages of 20 and 40, affecting three times as many females as males and it is interesting to note that as the trend in total MS cases is on the rise, this ratio remains constant (Hunter, 2016). Incidence is most common at age 30 and prevalence peaks at age 50, with males more likely to experience late onset than females (Hunter, 2016). AboutRead MoreTypes And Environmental Factors Of Multiple Sclerosis2800 Wor ds   |  12 Pagesdevastating disease in which its name literally means many scars. This chronic disease attacks the central nervous system, meaning it affects the brain and the spinal cord and is known as an autoimmune disease. MS happens when your immune system attacks myelin, which is a fatty material that is wrapped around nerve fibers to protect them. Without this outset shell, the nerves become damaged in which scar tissue may form. This damage can produce the brain not to be able to send signals throughout the bodyRead MoreAn Autoimmune Disorder Of The Central Nervous System3281 Words   |  14 Pagesand conduct it to the axons.4 The dendrites are small, short processes that branch off of the cell body.4 They conduct electrical signals from the axon of the previous neuron toward the cell body.4 Some neurons have one dendrite while others have many dendrites.4 The more they have, the more input the neuron can receive.4 The axon is connected to the cell body by the axon hillock and is covered by an electrical insulator called the myelin sheath, which facilitates conduction of the electricalRead More Stem Cells Essay4600 Words   |  19 Pages1997. In the disease Multiple Scleroses, the myelin sheath protecting the neuron is missing. In the absence of myelin to protect the neuron, pain is a constant sensation. Researchers at UMW gathered a group of mice, which were genetically deficient of myelin. When the undifferentiated embryonic cells were implanted into their spines, the cells were able to sense that the myelin producing cells were deficient and morphologically changed into replacement myelin cells. Immediately, these new cells beganRead MoreSection 11 : The Nervous System3364 Words   |  14 Pagescell and the dendrites of others IV. Axons and dendrites in the periphery are covered with myelin, which acts as insulation Neurotransmitters I. Neurotransmitters: chemicals that enable messages (nerve impulses) to pass from one cell to another, if chemicals are not produced in the right amounts, the message pathway becomes confused or blocked Nerves I. Some axons and dendrites are long and others short. Axons and dendrites of many neutrons are found in bundles; they are held together by connectiveRead MoreThe Basic Difference Between Anatomy and Physiology6198 Words   |  25 Pagesindividual to produce melanin. Most albinos (al-BÄ ª-nÃ… s), people affected by albinism, do not have melanin in their hair, eyes, and skin. In another condition, called vitiligo (vit-i-LÄ ª-gÃ… ), the partial or complete loss of melanocytes from patches of skin produces irregular white spots. The loss of melanocytes may be related to an immune system malfunction in which antibodies attack the melanocytes. Dark-skinned individuals have large amounts of melanin in the epidermis. Consequently, the epidermis hasRead MoreMyasthenia Gravis: Its Diagonosis and Treatment Essay1844 Words   |  8 Pagesneuro-muscular junction (figure 1).The myelinated axons reach the muscles through peripheral nerves ;then each axon separates into branches that innervate many individual muscle fibres (Gardener,1968). As it approaches its target fibre each branch loses the myelin sheath and further subdivides into many presynaptic knobs, which are composed of synaptic vesicles loaded with ACh and face the side of synaptic cleft. The presynaptic knob and postsynaptic knob are separated by the synaptic cleft, a space that containsRead MoreComputer Aided Diagnosis Systems For Infectious Diseases Essay1998 Words   |  8 Pagesevidence that ZIKV has caused other fetal sequelae other than microcephaly such as intracranial calcifications, ventriculomegaly, ocular impairment, brainstem hypoplasia, intrauterine grow th restriction, and fetal demise [10]. Ultrasound imaging falls short for identifying these abnormalities. The objective of this specific aim is to provide in-vivo visualization for the fetal brain with the state of the art magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging towards exploration of potential neurological