...addiction, but some theoretical frameworks indicates that addictions may have a genetic component that leads to a predisposition to develop addiction, a disease model of addiction or as the result of self-medicating of a primary disorder. This paper will take a theoretical view of the causes of addiction as well as developing a working definition of addiction. Causes of Addiction There are numerous theories regarding addiction and the causes of addiction; however, for the purpose of this paper we will discuss three areas or models of addiction as it relates to substance and alcohol related abuse. Before delving into the causes of addiction we will develop an understanding of what addiction is and what it is not by viewing a few theories and definitions of addiction. We will also develop an understanding of what constitute a diagnosis of addiction and causes one to develop an addiction in the context of genetic predisposition, disease and the prevalence of addiction among individuals with co-occurring disorders stemming from traumatic experiences such as childhood abuse. Addiction Defining addiction is not a simplistic task as there are many theories and definitions of addiction and how addiction develops. In Drugs and addiction: an Introduction to Epigenetics, Wong, Mill, & Fernandes (2011) defines addiction as “a debilitating psychiatric disorder, with a complex etiology involving the interaction of inherited predispositions...
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...double helix to The Human Genome Project (HGP) would become a reality. Fifty years later in 2003, National Institute Health accomplished mapping of 32,000 genes of the human genome. Gene mapping was a significant research that enabled researchers to focus on gene specific diseases and birth defects. More than 1000 research projects started inward voyage discovery of human kind rather outward exploration of the planets. Clinical research involving human beings have greater potential for risk of misusing the technology. Potential for misusing the genetic research and fear of unknown long term effects on the successive generations have sparked bioethics debates. Like abortion, gene mapping is a very controversial subject and both sides have strong views. For example, should a woman abort the pregnancy based on the abnormal genetic screening results? Genetic technology provides an enormous power within our grips and with this enormous power comes following the ethical standards. Ethical standards should be followed involving human subjects. Genetic screening standards should align with four ethical principles of: • Respect for the human autonomy, dignity, and obtaining informed consent • Genetic screening should cause the minimal amount of harm to the subject • Provides maximum benefit to the subject • Genetic screening should be available to all the patients of a certain population considered high risk for a certain disease or condition Purpose of this paper is to discuss the...
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...Genetic and Reproductive Sciences Abstract This paper is based on genetic and reproductive science and their benefits and limitations regarding individuals, families, and society. The paper covers the screening and treatment for diabetes and what methods are used to prevent it development. The paper also contains information regarding In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and its benefits for individuals and families. The use stems cells and its advantages and disadvantages are also mentioned. Analyze the benefits and limitations of genetic and reproductive sciences for individuals, families, and society. The benefit of genetic science for individuals is that it can determine if the person has a possible genetic disorder and give them a better chance at preventing the disorder from becoming active, monitor the disorder, or treat the disorder. For example, diabetes is a genetic disorder that can be discovered through genetic testing. Lifestyle changes such as exercising and lowering their body mass index (BMI) can prevent someone for developing diabetes, and the testing can monitor diabetes if a person develops it. Diabetes can also be treated by the use of insulin and dieting if monitored correctly. The limitation of genetic science for individuals is the emotional outcome of the test results. Some people may get upset and begin to feel guilty, depressed, or even become anxious once they receive their results (Cho, et al., 2012). The benefits of genetic science...
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...In the progress of understanding of human biology why complex diseases like diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and psychiatric disorders are so difficult to predict and treat, or why one individual gets a disease but an identical twin remains perfectly all right, scientists have now discovered one vital clue to unravel the riddle. Human genome is a collection of 4 million gene switches. Some reside in bits of DNA that once were discarded as ‘junk’ but that turns out to play critical role in controlling how cells, tissues and organs behave -- the junk DNA is often referred to as the ‘dark matter’ instead. As a result of a huge project involving 440 scientists from 32 laboratories around the world, the discovery is considered as a major medical...
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...with that title, the geneticist Dean Hamer had traced belief in God to a specific gene. "Does our DNA compel us to seek a higher power?" Time asked. The article left me pondering a different question: Given the track record of behavioral geneticists in general, and Dean Hamer in particular, why does anyone still take their claims seriously? Behavioral genetics, which attempts to explain what we are and do in genetic terms, began with the English polymath Francis Galton, who in 1883 coined the term "eugenics" to refer to his proposal that humanity improve itself through judicious breeding. Galton's measurements of the physical and mental characteristics of various groups had convinced him that upper-class gentlemen like himself were innately smarter than poor white men, let alone "inferior races" like Africans. On a trip to Africa, however, Galton was mightily impressed with the physical endowments of Hottentot women, whose bodies he measured from afar with a sextant because he was too timorous to approach them. Galton's ideas were carried forward in the United States by Charles Davenport, who directed biological research at the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island around the turn of the last century. Davenport believed in the heritability of traits like pauperism, shiftlessness, and the ability to be a naval officer. The latter, he asserted, was composed of subtraits for thalassophilia,...
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...Topic # 1: Causes of Eating Disorders Throughout North America, many continue to suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Individuals with eating disorders can experience changes in their physical and mental health that may also lead to death. Women are in fact more prone to eating disorders over men. According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI), 10.7 out of every 100 000 women suffer from an eating disorder, where as 0.7 per 100 000 males suffer from an eating disorder (Gucciardi et al, 2003). In addition, Statistics Canada notes that 90% or more of all cases pertaining to the diagnosis of an eating disorder are for women (Statistics Canada, n.d.). Furthermore, the Canadian Institution of Health Information states that in the year 2000 , 11.54% of women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, and 15.36% of women diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, reported suffering from depression. Moreover, these percentages equate to more than double of the 5.7% of women from the general population who have reported suffering from depression (Gucciardi et al, 2003). This paper will explore and address eating disorders through past research papers and as well to propose a possible experiment that may be used to further uncover the underlying causes for eating disorders. In the article “Observations on Human Behaviour in Experimental Semistarvation and Rehabilitation” by Joseph C. Franklin, Burtrum C. Schiele, Josef Brozek, and Ancel...
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...Psychology 130 Research Paper Mice May Provide Important Clues for OCD Disorder Great strides have taken place in the research area of obsessive-compulsive disorder over the past three years, and there is hope that better treatments for humans suffering from this disorder may soon be in place, and it is mice that are providing important clues to what may cause OCD. The key issue behind OCD research is to find treatment and relief for those humans suffering from this debilitating psychiatric condition which affects about two percent of the world’s population. OCD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the world. It is marked by persistent intrusive thoughts (the obsession), repetitive actions (the compulsion) and anxiety. Examples include fear of contamination, or that something terrible will happen to a loved one. They also suffer from repetitive rituals (compulsions), which are often designed to neutralise these thoughts. Examples include hand-washing and checking and rechecking things. These symptoms cause distress and can occupy hours during the day, interfering with a person’s quality of life and their ability to work. The severity of OCD varies widely from person to person, and while the neurobiological basis of the disease is unknown, there are indications in past research that genetics plays a role. One of the key studies conducted in the last three years was done by the Duke University Medicine Center who had been conducting basic research on how individual...
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...Hydrocephalus Hydrocephalus Hydrocephalus is an anomaly which origins have been linked to both genetic and environmental factors. Saladin, (2007) has defined hydrocephalus as an abnormal accumulation of central spinal fluid (CSF) in the brain usually as a result of a blockage in the CSF flow and the subsequent reabsorption. The rate of occurrence of hydrocephalus varies by whom is asked; there are not any national registries therefore there is not a data base that can accurately depict a real number of people afflicted with this anomaly. Instances of hydrocephalus are not all associated with genetics, some other factors that have been documented are: congenital malformations, intercerebral hemorrhage, infection and maternal alcohol abuse. Two article will be discussed in the paper; one article is dedicated to genetics while the second article discusses environmental factors that have been associated with hydrocephalus. Article 1 Genetics of human hydrocephalus The article discusses that evidence is mounting that genetic factors play a role in the “pathogenesis of hydrocephalus”. Hydrocephalus has two forms; acquired and inherited. There are several documented instanced of genetic involved in hydrocephalus in animals, but the documentation that has been gathered to date is not as substantial in human hydrocephalus. “Hydrocephalus is considered complex and has multifactorial neurological defects.” It is believed that one of the possible causes is related to protein and...
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...Haggard Bioethics, by definition, is the ethics of medical and biological research. There are a number of bioethical issues that are being carefully addressed as they arise. Some are easily remedied and some still remain very controversial. In this paper we will explore the use of genetic trait testing, access to genetic information as well as the issue of vaccinating or not. With regards to bioethical related data the accessing, storing, gathering, and sharing medical data for the purpose of using the data for the scientific purpose of research is still a controversial issue in the scientific community. There is no basic problem with sharing medical data electronically, with the implementation of EHR, electronic health records. However, there is yet to be formal ethical guidelines established for the use of this data in the biological sciences community. There have been guidelines introduced for developing ethical principles with the ultimate goal of winning over the scientific community to incorporate the use of this data into their existing code of ethics. The scientific community has an obligation to share this data, if permitted by the patient, for research purposes. It also can be a major factor that could increase the trust of the public with regards to scientific research. Society also had concerns about employers having access to genetic information. (Duke & Porter, 2013) With the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) employers are prohibited...
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...1 Potential Etiologies of Autism Autism spectrum disorder, also called autism, is a severe physical disorder of the brain, characterized by impaired cognition, limited language, repetitive patterns of behavior, difficulty with social interactions, and a lack of responsiveness to other people (Schreibman). Other conditions within the autism spectrum include Asperger syndrome, Child Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), and Rett’s Disorder (58-63). Scientists consider these disorders to be similar because they share common characteristics (58). Asperger syndrome occurs when children have difficulty with social interactions, but do not exhibit delays in language. CDD develops within two years and autism is evident within the first year of life (59). PDD-NOS occurs when children have difficulty with social interactions and either communication problems or restricted interest (63). Rett’s Disorder is diagnosed definitively in females and autism is diagnosed primarily in males (58). The term autism was first used in 1943 by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner, who wrote a paper “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact” (Koegel 2). In his paper, Kanner described his observation of eleven children between the ages of two and eight who displayed a tendency to want to be alone and lacked the ability to interact with others. The children also displayed a delay in speech, a lack of imaginative play, unusual interest, and verbal...
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...According to Baltes, (1996), the entire life cycle has four eras. These eras, he says, take an approximate time of 20-25 years. Levinson goes further to identify the developmental periods as childhood and adolescence, early childhood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. At this point in time, it is formal to simplify various terminologies that relation to human development. This is because they will feature constantly in the preceding sections. First and foremost is development. This is simply a change characterized by movement from one state to another. Usually, development leads to transitions. Development, as will be used in this paper, will refer to growth, and progression through certain stages, commonly termed as “maturity.” Another term of significance is stage. This refers to sections that differentiate the various phases of growth. The phases involve changes which are either physical or intellectual and their subsequent impact on life events and experiences. This paper examines the wider field of lifespan development. It begins by exploring the stages of human development. As regards, the stages, the paper focuses on seven main stages i.e. the infancy stage, early childhood, middle childhood, Adolescence, early adulthood, middle...
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...In today’s society, eating disorders have been found to affect a large number of people. The disorder does not discriminate against gender, age group, or socioeconomic status although it’s more common in the female gender. The three most common types of this psychological disorder include Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge eating. Anorexia is found in a person who refuses to eat or eats a minimal amount to cause severe weight loss. Bulimia involves a person who consumes a large amount of food and then seeks to purge himself of the caloric intake. Most commonly this is accomplished by vomiting. The third type, binge eating, is similar to bulimia accept in this particular case there is no attempt by the individual to compensate for the caloric intake. In the following research paper the causes, clinical findings, and treatment of each of these disorders will be discussed to determine how each varies from one another. Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder that is caused by self-induced starvation resulting in severe weight loss. It is considered a psychological disorder because it primarily affects healthy young individuals, mostly commonly young women, who have developed an obsession with becoming thin. It is estimated that 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime (Stunkard, J. A., & Wilson, T., 2008.) The exact cause is not known, but attitudes towards physical appearance and family issues effect its development. Feasting on large amounts...
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...Genetic Engineering Facts By definition, Genetic engineering is the modification of an organism’s genetic make up through artificial means often involving the transfer of specific traits known as genes, from one organism to another. In simpler terms, it is the manipulation of DNA to alter an organism’s characteristics in a particular way. The following are some important facts one needs to know on this topic. Genetic engineering can mean deleting DNA to get rid of undesired traits or introducing new genes to get desired traits, but it can also mean combining DNA from separate people. We can begin by talking about the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international research effort to determine the DNA sequence of the entire human genome. HGP researchers untangled the human genome using three tools: producing what are called linkage maps, through which inherited traits (such as those for genetic disease) can be tracked over generations; making maps that show the locations of genes for major sections of all our chromosomes; and determining the order, or "sequence," of all the bases in our genome's DNA. The research revealed that there are probably somewhere around 30,000 human genes and has given the world detailed information about the structure, organization and function of the human genes and other functional components found in DNA. This information can be seen as the basic set of inheritable "instructions" for the development and function of a...
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...THE GENETIC ENGINEERING: FRIEND OR FOE By The discussion about genetic engineering has been going on for a long time. Over the last two decades the science behind genetic engineering has advanced rapidly. Since scientists have gained the ability to map most of the human genome, they have begun to understand the different ways that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can be manipulated or altered. The manipulation and altering of DNA can be done by many different methods, but the goals of these methods are all the same; to manipulate the genetic material in order to change its hereditary traits or to produce biological products. Experiments have been conducted in many different areas to include: bacteria, naturally produced drugs, plants, livestock, and laboratory animals. Many processes around genetic engineering are still in the experimental stages, but some processes that deal with bacteria, natural produced drugs and plants have gained approval from agencies such as the Federal Department of Agriculture. The most controversial matters about genetic engineering is its potential us in human beings. This brings rise to many ethical and moral issues about genetic engineering, which we will discuss. In general there are three techniques used in the manipulation of human genes, they are cloning, somatic cell manipulation, and human germline manipulation. In general, cloning consists of creating exact copies...
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...contrasted within this paper; normal and abnormal. What is considered normal? What is considered abnormal? What distinguishes one from the other? How are both types alike? Abnormal Psychology is associated with diagnosis and therapy, while normal psychology focuses on understanding the cognition and behavior of those who are not. Both types of therapy can enlist many different types of approaches such as psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, biological, and humanistic. There is no clear and concise way to define abnormal behaviors that are studied within psychology. Abnormal behaviors are considered those behaviors within a certain society or group that are atypical. Determining a way to define abnormal behavior has been a work in progress for centuries. Social behaviors that are typically not considered acceptable within a group may classify someone as abnormal while in another group these behaviors may be acceptable and thus the person would be considered normal. Individuals that are considered abnormal have a difficult time functioning and adapting to specified conditions. Abnormal behavior studies include mental processes and psychopathology. According to McLeod (2008), “They may be unable to perform the behaviors necessary for day-to-day living e.g. self-care, hold down a job, interact meaningfully with others, make themselves understood etc.” Four key areas can contribute to an individual’s capacity to connect within a group or society; genetics, physical condition...
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