#HAPPY HALLOWEEN

DICTIONARY

Google images

• Recombination Signal Sequences (RSS): These are highly conserved heptamer and nonamer nucleotide sequences that serve as signals for the gene rearrangement process and flank each germline V, D, and J segment. 
• Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase (TdT): One of the three proteins implicated in V(D)J recombination that is responsible for the generation of additional diversity in the CDR3 region of the antibody heavy chain. TdT is also expressed in developing lymphocytes and adds untemplated "N" nucleotides to the free 3' termini of coding ends following their cleavage by recombination activation gene (RAG) 1 & 2 recombinases.  
• Coding joints: The nucleotide sequence at the point of union of coding sequences during V(D)J rearrangement to form rearranged antibody or T-cell receptor (TCR) genes. 
• Signal joints: The joints between the heptamers from the RSSs. 
• Palindromic Nucleotides: Nucleotide that forms at the V-D and D-J junction by asymmetric clipping of the hairpin junction formed by RAG1/2-mediated DNA cleavage.  

Work-cited

• By a Process Called Chemotaxis, They Reach Extravascular Tissue within 48 Hours Inflammatory Process. They Recognize and Eat up Just like Neutrophils. "Immense Immunology Insight." Immense Immunology Insight. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016. <http://immense-immunology-insight.tumblr.com/page/10>.

REFLECTIONS

Currently, I'm learning about the classification of the Immunoglobulins. There are five isotypes in the human immunoglobulins, which are IgD, IgE, IgM, IgA, and IgG. These immunoglobulins have different structures and functions. IgA secretes antibodies in the mucosal membrane, IgG help control infections against bacteria, viruses, and parasites, IgM is the first antibody to respond to antigen exposure, IgE plays a role in response to allergens and IgD assists with the maturation of B cells. All these information are relevant to my career goal as a hematologist/oncologist. Most patients I come across with would be those with a B cell deficiency and T-cell deficiency & in most cases, it would be B cell deficiency. 

For instance, I come across a six-year-old patient with leukemia, which is excessive, uncontrolled proliferation of the B cell. Also, this course helps me in understanding more about my health. The diagrams on the powerpoint help me visualize what occurs in the body. You tend to write on the board more often that's quite helpful too. So far, I understand this chapter. Two things that are confusing are 1. The quote: "All immunogens are antigens, but not all antigens are immunogens." Can you please elaborate on what this quote means; because I wrote on the quiz that antigens bind to receptors on lymphocytes, and they induce an immune response, but not all antigens evoke an immune response, but I only got half a point. Another question I do not understand is: What advantage could there be in having an immune system that generates billions of lymphocytes that do not recognize any known infectious agent? I got this question wrong. If you can, please clarify these questions. 
This course has changed my perspective on everything. Like recently, someone was prescribed Hydroxyurea, and I automatically thought SCD, then I looked up on the internet if this drug helps with one type of sickle cell or both [anemia & thalassemia]. Then, I searched up the mechanism of Hydroxyurea in the body--production of fetal Hb in the bone marrow--as well as side effects. Even in little things, like when someone sneezes or coughs next to me, I slightly get irritated because and I sanitize my hands. 

Google images

.....LOL

Google images

Work cited

• "Microbiology and Microbiology Jokes to Share." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016. <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/478648266621532976/>.

Dictionary

DICTIONARY

Google images

1. Epitope: A specific portion of an antigen that is recognized and bound by an antibody or TCR-MHC combination, which is also called an antigenic determinant--determining piece that binds to an immunogen. 
2. Plasmacytomas: are tumors of plasma cells, the end-stage cell of B cell differentiation, and the cells from that tumor are typically located in the bone marrow. 
3. Once the tumor metastasizes into multiple bone marrow, the tumor is referred to as multiple myelomas, which secretes large amounts of monoclonal antibodies into the serum and fluids of the patients. 

Little Knowledge

B cells secrete antibodies or immunoglobulins. These antibodies are IgA, IgE, IgG, IgD, and IgM. These subclasses have different structures composed of heavy chains and light chains. There are more kappa light chains than there is a lambda.  Only IgA & IgM are comprised of J chain; contain a different number of Ig domains. 

Google images

Works cited

1. Fyeahmedlab. "Diary of a Medical Scientist." Diary of a Medical Scientist. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://fyeahmedlab.tumblr.com/post/42418326885>.

Blog #6

Encounter

So I volunteer at the Emergency Department with a friend of mine. It's a very busy place. I see different kinds of people and illnesses--people come in due to intoxication, few come in due to psychosis, and others come in due to pain. You witness a lot of different things. 

But, on a hot day, I went to volunteer there and as I was cleaning a bed, a nurse walked up to me and asked if I could go fetch water for a pt after. I responded yes and after I got done, I went to this patient and gave it to her. Then, I moved from room to room asking if they needed an extra blanket, extra pillow, water, or food including the room of the patient I had just given water. She said she wanted more water. And, of course, I went again to get her water. Then, she sat up and I asked if she was okay and she said: "yeah, just pregnant," I smirked. Two minutes later, she opened the curtains and asked for more water. At this moment, I thought this was a normal, regular routine because her body needs extra fluid since she's pregnant. So, I got her some more water. Three minutes later, she asked for some water. Now, it seemed to me like this is more than just being thirsty. And, so I went to her and asked if she needed the doctor, but she refused. I thought about telling the nurse about her excessive thirst, which is viewed as a good thing, but I thought I was getting ahead of myself. 

And, so my friend and I decided to hide upstairs [because we couldn't be seen with our phones] to use our phones in figuring out why this pt has an excessive thirst. So I looked up "excessive thirst while pregnant" and I opened the first site, and it talks about gestational diabetes. Some women develop this diabetes only during the pregnancy [hence the word "gestation" in gestational diabetes]. It happens when the hormones during pregnancy, how the body makes insulin that breaks down sugar in food & how the body utilizes it. So, one of the signs of this diabetes is excessive thirst, blurred vision, frequent urination, etc. So we assessed the symptoms: Blurred vision explains the glasses but frequent urination and excessive thirst are normal during pregnancy. So we concluded that she was suffering from gestational diabetes, and so did more research and it showed that this illness may cause premature labor. From my understanding, premature babies tend to have few RBC which is essential to carry and transport O2 throughout the body. Which means that having few RBC means having few B cells produced in the bone marrow, that leads to a premature immune system, which leads to reduced innate and adaptive immunity. So premature babies have few phagocytotic cells that are necessary to kill pathogens and lower production of chemokines which activates T cells & lowers ability to fight bacteria and viruses; making the baby immune to sepsis and respiratory infections. A few minutes later, we went back downstairs to the ED just to find out that there was nothing majorly wrong with this pt and my friend & I just over-thought the situation. Later that night, she was discharged. My friend and I just laughed it off and tidied up the room the pt got discharged from. Even though we had the wrong diagnosis, we learned something new that day. 

*pt = patient*

*RBC = red blood cells*

*O2 = oxygen*

Cartoon of the week LOL

Google images

References

1. Biolegend. Web log post. Biolegend. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
2. "Gestational Diabetes." Gestational Diabetes. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.
3. Melville, Jacqueline M., and Timothy J. M. Moss. "The Immune Consequences of Preterm Birth." Front. Neurosci. Frontiers in Neuroscience 7 (2013): n. pag. Web.