Bovine Spongiform Encephalophathy Essay -- BSE Prion Mad Cow Disease

bovid Spongiform EncephalophathyAbstract Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is caused by a prion, which is an infectious means comprised solely of protein. The prion is a degenerate form of a shape cellular protein found in the brain and in nervous tissue. It targets the mean(prenominal) protein and causes the normal protein to change its shape. When enough of the prion is produced, the cell dies and symptoms of the disease atomic number 18 expressed.Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as mad cow disease, is an foreign disease in regards to the fact that it is not caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or some(prenominal) other organism. Instead the disease is caused by prions, infectious agents simply quiet of protein. Prions lack nucleic acid and are composed of an abnormal isoform of a normal cellular protein. What this means is that the prions and the cellular proteins have the same arrangements of the amino acids however, the prion is folded differen tly from the cellular protein. They are much like the toy Transformers that intrigued little kids in the 1980s. A sphynx could last a robot a bug could become a warrior. Nothing was added nothing subtracted.(Ruth Levy Guyer, Ph.D., 1) The tightly wound alpha helixes (figure 2) of the normal cellular proteins are unfolded and turn into beta sheets (figure 1).(Ruth Levy Guyer, Ph.D., 1) frame of reference 1Figure 2Another feature of the prion is its ability to hang in stable in extreme conditions. Because prions do not have any DNA or RNA like other infectious agents, they are very hard to deal with. Prions are extremely resistant to effected procedures to inactivate them including irradiation, boiling, dry heat, and chemicals such asformalin, betapropiolactone, and alcohols.S... ...is a disease that runs in families and prevents concourse from sleeping, causes motor and emotional problems, and is eventually a killer. GSS was linked to two mutations in the prion gene in 1989. Pri on fragments accumulate in the brain instructures called plaques. In Alzheimers disease, similar plaques develop, but they are composed of fragments of a different protein. work CitedPrion Wikipedia. 28 July 2006 .DeArmond, Stephen J., M.D., Ph.D., Safar, Jiri, M.D., Groth, Darlene, A.B., Prusiner, Stanley B., M.D. Prions Office of Health and Safety. 28 July 2006 .Guyer, Ruth Levy, Ph.D. Prions Puzzling infective Proteins National Institutes of Health Office of Science. 28 July 2006 .