Assignment # 8

Assignment # 8

Introduction

In a phenomenon called microchimerism, the expecting mother pass on or transmit some of her cells onto her child, and vice versa, during the period of pregnancy. Well, this is not astounding in itself. What is further astounding is that these cells can actually reproduce for years. It is not rare to find female cells in adult male or male cells in a female who delivered a son. In this regard, J. Lee Nelson conducted a study on Microchimerism and came up with a brilliantly explored article “Your Cells are My Cells”. This article talks about and clarifies the observable fact of microchimerism, which declares that all human beings acquire a number of cells from a number of genetically dissimilar individuals. This study proves that these cells act as therapeutics for the renewal or restoration of damaged tissues.

Discussion

The Context

We all are acquainted with the fact that all children acquire their genetic materials or DNAs from their parents. But have you ever thought about the opposite? It has been proved that a mother possesses elements or fractions of the DNA of all of her children. The observable fact of biological microchimerism has been recognized, however studies carried out years before demonstrate further substantiation that the swapping of DNA can have optimistic and/or pessimistic disease associated effects.

Microchimerism, in past related studies, has been discussed by the scientists as the cellular switch over that comes to pass by means of the placenta. The cells are all the time being shifted or transmitted and survive on the organs for instance the thyroid, liver, lungs and heart. We are well acquainted with the fact that the qualities of the blood of the child flow in the prenatal mother. Observed with further interest in the study conducted by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is that the DNA of a child is embedded in the brain of the mother. It even gets more complex and intricate: in view of the fact that a mother also possesses microchimeric cells from her own mother, the researchers have also observed cells contend from her infant and her mother.

Summary

J. Lee Nelson is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She also leads a research group that has a major and crucial target of clarifying the beneficial and damaging effects of the cell exchange between ...