Keratin

Whether we notice it or not, chemistry lives in our bodies. Things such as skin conditions, digestion, breathing, and hair growth all deal with chemistry in their own way. They all have certain chemical reactions and chemical changes that affect the way our bodies work. Even though we study different curriculums during chemistry such as the chemical equations, chemical reactions, and other things we have learned go far beyond what is said in class. During food digestion there are…

and contains components designed to immobilize or disable prey and break down tissue for future ingestion. The rattlesnake’s rattle is a warning device for predators who may threaten the snake. It is composed of several hollow, interlocked keratin segments. Muscles in the tail contract causing the segments to vibrate against each other making the rattle which is then amplified because the segments are hollow. Every time a snake sheds its skin, a new rattle segment is added to its…

Fashion was very important at the turn of the century but it wasn’t always painless. Women’s fashion was especially uncomfortable; outfits consisted of mostly of long, restrictive dresses - as many as four outfits a day for those who could afford that many expensive gowns, and for those who couldn’t they could purchase a pattern and sew a replica themselves. Either way, from the rich to the poor, under all of a women's outfits was the corset. Some men also wore corset-like garments called “body…

Muscular dystrophies (MD) are diseases that causes muscle mass loss and weakness (this is normally in children but can happen in adults). This is caused by abnormalities in genes that interfere with proper production of protein to form healthy muscles for voluntary movement. When the brain sends signals to a muscle to contract, it goes through the spinal cord and peripheral nerves to the neuromuscular junction, releasing the chemical acetylcholine that triggers muscle contraction. From here,…

is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disorder that is associated with both genetic and environmental factors. It is characterized by increased epidermal cell turnover, increased number of epidermal stem cells, and abnormal differentiation of keratin expression leading to thickened skin with copious scale (Ball, Dains, Flynn, Solomon, & Stewart, 2015). Psoriasis presents as symmetrical, sharply demarcated, erythematous, dry, scaling, pruritic plaques affecting the skin (Gupta, Simpson, &…

was as though the person standing before was not me. My defining external characteristics did not match those of my internal personality, but how was I to resolve this? I did not even know who I was. Hair. Any slight alteration of the strands of keratin protruding from one’s scalp can drastically change the public’s perception of any individual. The way it is sculpted on a human head can be an expressive externalization that is nearly impossible to ignore. Children differentiate genders by the…

The fight to save our rhinos is getting an upgrade. The new technology, known as Rapid (Real-time Anti-Poaching Intelligence Device) is impressive. Plus, there's top-secret spy cameras involved. It's one last, drastic effort to save rhinos from extinction. "Rapid Renders Poaching a Pointless Exercise" As reported in The Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/rhinos-horns-to-be-fitted-with-spy-cameras-and-alarms-to-help-catch-poachers-10400423.html endangered rhinos will…

Cervus canadensis Domain - Eukaryote Kingdom- Animalia Phylum - Chordata Class - Mammalia Order - Artiodactyla (“even” - “number of toes”) Family - Cervidae Genus - Cervus Species- canadensis Cervus canadensis (Elk) is one of the largest species within the Cervidae family (deer), and is also considered one of the largest land mammals in North America and Eastern Asia based upon mass and size. The word “Elk” comes from two languages: Old…

This writing presents the structure of proteins, their importance for life and processes under which they are made. It will also describe two groups of proteins and give some examples. Proteins (also called polypeptides, peptides or amino acids) are large polymers and main components of cells. They are produced by condensation reaction from amino acid monomers, therefore proteins are called condensation polymers. Each protein is formed by a unique sequence of 20 naturally occurring amino…

Introduction: One of the most common mass spectrometry–based proteomic methodologies used to day is the bottom up protein identification. First, the protein has to be digested into peptides using a protease. Then, the peptide will be submitted to the URMC Proteomics Resource and Laboratory for analysis using LC-MS/MS tandem mass spectrometry. In this approach, the peptides will be separated and introduced into a mass spectrometer using reversed phase liquid chromatography (RC-LC). This…