Platypus Envenomation
Abstract
The duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), order Monotrema, can be found throughout river systems in eastern Australia. The males have a retractable spur located on each of their hind legs. The spurs are attached to venom glands that produce a toxic cocktail of at least four different classes of peptides. These four compounds (Hyaluronidase, OvCNP-39, OvNGF, and defensin-like peptides) are highly selective enzymes and polypeptides that work together to inflict excruciating pain and edema that can last for months. The first compound identified, Hyaluronidase, lowers viscosity to allow for a deeper penetration of the venom into tissue. A C-type natriuretic peptide called OvCNP-39 contributes to edema. OvNGF is a nerve growth factor that is responsible for extreme sensitivity to heat and pressure. The role of Defensin-like proteins is not well known, but it is believed that they contribute the pain and edema associated with the venom. An unknown compound has been found to induce Ca++ dependent current in root ganglion cells, which may also contribute to the feeling of pain. Research is being done to identify the roles of these compounds and the possibility of them being used in medicine.
Introduction
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a unique animal that is found only in Australia. It is in the class Mammalia and the order Monotrema. Monotremes are phylogenetically the oldest of the mammals and can only be found naturally in Australia and in nearby New Guinea. They are quite different from placentals and marsupials and are believed to be the link between the reptiles and the other mammals. This is most noticeable though their means of reproduction and waste elimination. Montremes have a cloaca, which is a single opening for passage of solid and liquid waste, where the transfer of sperm takes place, and in females, the laying of eggs. This feature is shared only with birds and reptiles.
Platypuses live solo, except during the breeding season. They feed on worms and freshwater crayfish (Cheerax destructor) in eastern Australian rivers (Sutherland, 1983). They have low average body temperature compared to other mammals, which further supports their reptilian evolution (Torres et al., 1999). They can live about 16 years and grow to be 40-50 cm long, with males being larger than females (Jackson, 2003).
Venom: Production & Delivery
A characteristic that helps add even more to the platypus¡¯ uniqueness is the males¡¯ ability to produce and deliver venom.
Technology nowadays is getting more and more dangerous, especially to our ears. Every day we are subjected to videos, text sounds, alert sounds, alarms, and anything else that may be of use in life. These sounds seem to be happening more often which is damaging our ears. There is a solution to this damage though, and that is cochlear implants. These implants will bypass the damaged part of your ear to give you a sense of sound that can be made very useful to the patient. This paper will look into how the ear works, how hearing loss happens, why these cochlear implants are a good solution, how these implants work, cost and ethics related to these implants, and what the future holds for them.
Jem shows that he is growing up in many different ways. For example, he shows this when he goes back to the Radley house to retrieve his pants. “Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way.” (Jem 75) The fact that Jem went back to get his pants was a brave decision. This quote shows that he is maturing because he didn’t want Atticus to whip him, but not because he was afraid, because he didn’t want Atticus to go through the pain of having to whip his child. A quote that describes Jem at the moment is "We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice--that is, until we have stopped saying 'It got lost,' and say, 'I lost it.'"(Sydney J. Harris). In addition to Jem’s developing characteristics, he acquired a load of wisdom. Jem shows a loss of innocence, after his perfect view of the world is shattered right in front of his eyes. For example, “I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, at least that’s what they seemed like.”(Jem 288) This is important because Jem realizes that Maycomb folks aren’t that great. This also shows that he saw the prejudice in the people, and how racist they were to African Americans. As Jem matures and starts developing a new eye for the world, he slowly starts to lose his childhood innocence and is exposed to the wrong doings of the
...st in school by learning about Hitler and the horrible historical events that have happened in the world. Her maturity is expressed by what she has learned about the world around her and can apply those things to her every day life. Moreover, Scout has matured greatly in the novel and she has learned many lessons about life, family, and womanhood.
Jem is growing up all the time. This can be seen when he stops Scout
Pianka, E. and Parker, W. 1975. Ecology of horned lizards: A review with special reference to Phrynosoma platyrhinos. Copeia 1975: 141-162.
Children may start out simple-minded but shift into maturing young adults. Jem is proof of this in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird since he has many life experiences with the people who influence him most. Through this novel, Jem matures from an ignorant boy to a young and more to respectful young man due to learning loyalty and valor.
“Maturity is when your world opens up and you realize that you are not the center of it.” –M.J. Croan. Maturity comes in steps, where we are always progressing and learning further about ourselves and how others perceive us. Scout gradually becomes more mature throughout the novel, leaving behind her innocence while also reconstructing her empathy and tolerance for others. Similarly Scout and I were both naïve to the world around us, but because of witnessing first-hand the inhumanity around us blatantly displayed a lack of empathy people contain within them. This was a learning experience for myself because it brought home racial discrimination in an event that will forever impact the way I treat others of a different race, color or religion.
According to IDEA an assistive technology device is “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.” However, the exception is any “medical device that is surgically implanted.” Cochlear implants can improve some functional capabilities of a child with a disability and it IS a surgically implanted medical device. However, during the procedure electrodes are surgically inserted into the patient’s cochlea… a medical device is NOT surgically implanted. While, electrodes are not typically considered “medical devices”, when in sync with other medical devices outside of the cochlea, it takes on the role of serving as a “medical device” of that network. This is why there is debate about whether or not a cochlear implant is assistive technology. The gray area comes into play with whether or not they are considered assistive technology because the law is specifically stating that the medical device must be surgically implanted to be considered assistive technology. Thus, because an electrode is only a medical device when the head set and transmitting coil is attached externally, it is questionable as to whether or not this would qualify as “medical device being implanted.” When the external features of the implant are removed (they can be removed at any time),
Deaf people make unique population in the world today but unfortunately, deaf population may extinct due to widespread use of bionic ears, which is cochlear implant. Cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or hard of hearing. The cochlear implant controversy therefore involve questions about allowing cochlear implant for newborn to ten years old or does the cochlear implant pose a serious threat to deaf community or why wouldn’t a deaf person want to become hearing and forth on. It is harmful both to individual health and the deaf community.
Jem is also constantly searching for loopholes in Atticus’s rules, convinced that he could avoid punishment, proving that he is still very much in a child’s world. As the story progresses, Jem starts to distance himself from Scout’s games and becomes more of an authority figure, treating Dill and her as young children to establish himself as an adult. Jem does not always take the most popular route, but he always does the most moral and righteous thing.
Children have different aspects of thinking. This all depends on what their parents and what the society teaches them. Jem is an innocent child born in to the middle of the great depression, where racism was not a problem. Jem changes in the course of the story ‘To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee’. Jem is one of the main characters in this book. He learns about the reality of the situation and learns how to deal with it. These changes are seen from the point of view of his little sister, Scout. This gives us a unique perspective of the growth of Jem and the way he changes. Jem displays qualities and traits that can be rarely seen in most kids in literature or in real life. These qualities are that he is very brave, he is very protective over his little sister and he respects his father a lot during the course of the book.
Although Jem initially was very childish, the events of the story caused him to have a change of attitude as he matured; by the end of the novel, he is a much matured young adult. This development would not have been possible without Bob Ewell trying to attack Jem and Scout or the Tom Robinson court case. Because Jem learns this lesson, it is clear that Harper Lee intended for her audience to understand what real courage is all
All reptiles breathe using lungs. Reptiles have two lungs but some snakes only have one. Also a few others have one lung enlarged and the other one small. One other lung shape is a
Red Pandas are very much like raccoons, they are very peaceful creatures too! These Pandas have distance markings and markings. They have reddish-brown fur on its upper body, which is used for camouflage. It has a white snout and ears, with white streaks on their face. Red Pandas look nothing like an ordinary panda, this Panda has similar characteristics to a raccoon. It has a covering of red fur like the raccoon. The Red Panda is very small, the body size can range from twenty to twenty-five inches. Also they can weigh up to 8-12 pounds. They have very interesting and unique features. The Red Panda like the Giant Panda has an extra thumb which is used to grip things. They also have extra long whiskers which is used to navigate their environment at night. The Red Panda doesn't live very long compared to a human. The average life span of a Red Panda is 8-12 years. This creature rests during the day and is alive during the night. They are nocturnal which means that they hunt during the night and sleep during the day.
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