Biology 1002B Lecture Notes - Wild Type, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Hyperoxia
24 Aug 2013
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Document Summary
Ageing is defined as the progressive impairment of function with an increasing probability of death. Apparently, developed countries are home to individuals with longer lifespans due to improved sanitation (especially with clean water) and advancements in health care, which modern-day humans rely on for the maintenance of their health. There have also been various hypotheses discussed about ageing being linked to oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor in cellular respiration. It has been documented that many anaerobic organisms die when exposed to oxygen. This is profound because such organisms that grow by fermentation (relying heavily on glycolysis) are not just displaying inability to use oxygen, but induced death from oxygen exposure. Certain hyperoxia treatments used to be a regular occurrence in hospitals in which patients would receive the maximum supply of oxygen (100%). Nowadays, pure o2 is never used for procedures like newborn resuscitation.
