MODULE 3                                                                   Alzheimer’s disease

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


                 

You should be able to find all the information you need on the hyperlinks below, but feel free to expand your research using other appropriate resources.

 

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

              Established in 1988 as a national resource for molecular biology information, NCBI creates public databases, conducts research in computational biology, develops software tools for analyzing genome data, and disseminates biomedical information - all for the better understanding of molecular processes affecting human health and disease.

 

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM)

              This site is a branch of the main NCBI page.  This database is a catalog which concentrates on human genes and genetic disorders.  It is authored and edited by Dr. Victor A. McKusick and his colleagues.

 

At these NCBI sites, you can review many literature resources like PubMed and Bookshelf, observe many DNA sequences at GenBank, look at structures & taxonomy in the Molecular Databases section, and find a wealth of knowledge on hundreds of ailments in the Genes & Diseases section.

 

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 

(Create a new word document with your name and date on top.  Number your responses 1 – 6 and answer the following questions in complete sentences.  Include a link to the resource page where you found your answer.  REMEMBER TO PARAPHRASE!)

 

  1. Alzheimer’s Disease deals with genes situated on which chromosome(s)?

 

  1. What recent former President of the USA suffered from AD?

 

  1. The incidence of AD rises with age, but is AD more prevalent in one sex than the other?

 

  1. There is a PubMed journal article abstract with the ID# 15942328.  Copy and paste the title of this article as your answer to question 4.  Be sure to add a link.

 

  1. According to the article abstract from question #4, which sex steroid (hormone) has become the primary focus of research in the field?

 

  1. Chromosome 14 has another disorder besides AD located on it called Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.  In a one paragraph essay, tell me what the protein Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) does for us, and what happens in our respiratory system if we are deficient of it. 

 

 

Module 3    Alzheimer’s Disease                   ANSWER KEY

 

  1. Alzheimer’s Disease deals with genes situated on which chromosome(s)?

AD is found in the genes of chromosomes 1, 14, 19, & 21.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=books&doptcmdl=GenBookHL&term=alzheimer+AND+gnd%5Bbook%5D+AND+138063%5Buid%5D&rid=gnd.section.193

 

  1. What recent former President of the USA suffered from AD?

Former US President, Ronald Regan, suffered from AD.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=books&doptcmdl=GenBookHL&term=alzheimer+AND+gnd%5Bbook%5D+AND+138063%5Buid%5D&rid=gnd.section.193

 

 

  1. The incidence of AD rises with age, but is AD more prevalent in one sex than the other?

AD is twice as common in females than males.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=books&doptcmdl=GenBookHL&term=alzheimer+AND+gnd%5Bbook%5D+AND+138063%5Buid%5D&rid=gnd.section.193

 

 

  1. There is a PubMed journal article abstract with the ID# 15942328.  Copy and paste the title of this article as your answer to question 4.  Be sure to add a link.

Gender Differences in Alzheimer Disease: The Role of Luteinizing Hormone in Disease Pathogenesis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15942328&query_hl=11

 

 

  1. According to the article abstract from question #4, which sex steroid (hormone) has become the primary focus of research in the field?

Estrogen has become the primary focus of AD research.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15942328&query_hl=11

 

This paragraph should discuss most of these main points:

AAT is a protein that protects the body from damage by its immune cells. Deficiency of this protein leaves the lungs vulnerable to injury.  Our white blood cells release elastase, a powerful enzyme that can fight infections, but it can also attack normal tissues. If uncontrolled elastase is released near alveoli, it would destroy their walls and surrounding tissue, leaving areas of trapped air. This abnormal accumulation of air in the lungs is called emphysema and causes shortness of breath.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?call=bv.View..ShowSection&rid=gnd.section.264