According to the National Institute of Aging, “Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks,” (Fact). Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia (Association). It causes disturbances in metabolic processes that are vital to keeping neurons healthy. These disturbances cause nerve cells to stop working, lose connection with other nerve cells, and eventually die. This causes memory loss, behavioral issues and problems with critical thinking (Fact).
Causes
Amyloid plaques are essential when it comes to Alzheimer 's disease. Plaques are abnormal clusters of protein fibers between the nerve cells, as seen in Figure 1. They can be formed when pieces of a protein, also known as, beta-amyloid, begin to bundle together. The beta-amyloid are smaller pieces to a large protein that is found in the fatty membrane surrounding the nerve cells. Beta-amyloid stick together and eventually form plaques. Small clumps of beta-amyloid are more damaging than the larger ones. This is because the small clumps can possibly block the cell-to-cell synapses. Although, scientists have not been able to link plaques to the cause of the disease. Some believe that it is a byproduct of Alzheimer’s disease. …show more content…
This disease disrupts very important processes that the nerve cells must carry out in order to survive, including communication, metabolism, and repair. At first, the disease impair nerve cells and their communication in the parts of the brain that are involved in memory. Eventually, the disease destroys the parts of the brain that deal with language, social behavior and reasoning. Afterwards, more and more parts of the brain become damaged and the person becomes unresponsive to the outside
Causes
Amyloid plaques are essential when it comes to Alzheimer 's disease. Plaques are abnormal clusters of protein fibers between the nerve cells, as seen in Figure 1. They can be formed when pieces of a protein, also known as, beta-amyloid, begin to bundle together. The beta-amyloid are smaller pieces to a large protein that is found in the fatty membrane surrounding the nerve cells. Beta-amyloid stick together and eventually form plaques. Small clumps of beta-amyloid are more damaging than the larger ones. This is because the small clumps can possibly block the cell-to-cell synapses. Although, scientists have not been able to link plaques to the cause of the disease. Some believe that it is a byproduct of Alzheimer’s disease. …show more content…
This disease disrupts very important processes that the nerve cells must carry out in order to survive, including communication, metabolism, and repair. At first, the disease impair nerve cells and their communication in the parts of the brain that are involved in memory. Eventually, the disease destroys the parts of the brain that deal with language, social behavior and reasoning. Afterwards, more and more parts of the brain become damaged and the person becomes unresponsive to the outside