a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is the most common cause of dementia. it is progressive and worsens over time.
what is dementia?
it is an umbrella term which describes serious deteriorations in mental function, such as memory, language, orientation and judgement.
the first symptoms of alzheimer's is seen in the loss of the hippocampus - the area of the brain that deals with memory.
in patients suffering from alzheimer's disease, the neurones malfunction, leading to cell death. this results in incorrect chemical and electrical signalling between nerve cells.
MECHANISM OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
post-mortem, within an alzheimer's patient's brain are senile plaques which consists of short amyloid-beta peptides. These are formed by a larger membrane bound amyloid precursor protein (APP)
LIPID RAFTS/CHOLESTEROL
amyloid-beta peptides are formed when APP undergoes proteolysis (protein breakdown) in the cholesterol-rich lipid rafts. (An area in the plasma membrane dense with sphingolipids + cholesterol, leading the organisation of signalling molecules and their compartmentalisation)
Cleavage (or proteolysis) of APP in other regions of the membrane, prevents the formulation of toxic amyloid beta.
As a result, differences in the structure of the membrane of the individual may affect amyloid beta production, and the progression of Alzheimer's as a result.
AMYLOID BETA PEPTIDES -> AMYLOID PLAQUES
Accumulation of amyloid beta outside cells form amyloid plaques. These characterise Alzheimer's disease in patients.
Additionally, aggregation of abnormally-phosphorylated tau proteins into intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles is another key characteristic of the disease.
This second paragraph may be harder to understand, so I will be breaking it down; to phosphorylate means to add a Phosphate to a molecule. This is an essential process in biology, and I would recommend learning further about it.
Tau normally stables microtubules in the brain, preventing breakdown. These microtubules are important for neuronal structure and intercellular (between cells) transport.
Excessive or abnormal phosphorylation of tau proteins leads to a "tangle formation" and oligomerisation (where small monomers link together to form a larger chain.) This leads to microtubule destabilisation.
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Why Do Schools Use an Artificial Skull Model for Science Education?
An Artificial Skull Model is widely used in biology and medical classrooms to help students study the structure of the human skull. The model clearly shows the different bones and features that make up the skull, making it easier for students to understand anatomy. Teachers use these models for demonstrations and practical learning, allowing students to observe details that are difficult to see in textbooks.
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