Case Study: Cell Biology and Genetics

Cell Biology and Genetics
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Cell Biology: Maria’s Case
Ischemia is a condition caused by insufficient blood flow in the body that results in poor oxygenation of the tissues (Silveira et al., 2015). Several factors may result in this condition. One of the leading causes is arteriosclerosis. It refers to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries as a result of an accumulation of fat on the walls. Fat, when in excess, collects on the arterial walls and forms a plaque that hardens with time. The narrowing of the arteries provides that the blood volume that gets to the tissues reduces. It is a very probable cause of ischemia since Marie is already overweight. The fact that she is sedentary means that the excess fat stored in her body does not reduce but instead hardens along the blood vessels. Arteriosclerosis may also result in high blood pressure due to the narrowing of the arteries. The patient has hypertension, as indicated by the 184/98 mm Hg mark.
At times the fatty plaque found in the arteries collects together to form a clot. Clots are dangerous to the human health and a sure cause of ischemia. They may also result in heart failure or stroke. The fact that Marie gets tired easily as she works may be the result of low energy that comes with age. However, together with the other symptoms that she exhibits, it could be the result of ischemia. Ischemia eventually results in hypoxia. Hypoxia is merely a deficiency of oxygen in the tissues (Netzer et al.

, 2015). When arteries have blockage along their path, low volume of blood reaches the tissues and therefore resulting in poor oxygenation. Metabolism and other bodily functions depend on oxygen to proceed. These functions are vastly affected when ischemia results in hypoxia. Hypoxia, however, can result from anemia, hence low oxygen no matter the volume of the blood.
Low oxygen in the tissues, as stated before, affects the body’s metabolic functions. The body requires oxygen for ATP generation. Hypoxia affects this process resulting in low metabolism (Kalogeris, Baines, Krenz, & Korthuis, 2014). Respiration also produces heat energy which warms the body. The result of hypoxia, in this case, is cold in the affected body areas. Another cause of the cold hands that Maria’s experiences are the fact that blood transports heat through the body. Blockage in the arteries and other blood vessels interferes with the process and causes the cold in the affected organs. However, these changes are reversible. The body resorts to anaerobic respiration to produce ATP through glycolysis. This process ensures the metabolism proceeds efficiently but results in the accumulation of lactic acid, a byproduct of anaerobic respiration. Lactic acid accumulation is also a cause of fatigue that Maria experiences.
The increase in lactic acid due to glycogen depletion decreases the pH in the cells and tissues. The change results in the accumulation of sodium ions in the cells and tissues and the diffusion of the potassium ions out of the cell (Kalogeris, Baines, Krenz, & Korthuis, 2014). The resulting imbalance causes swelling as a result of the accumulation of fluid, hence edema. In the case discussed herein, Maria had a swelling in her legs as a result of the fluid buildup. This edema usually goes on its own once the tissues gain access to oxygen. In more severe cases, diuretics enable the body to rid the excess fluid through urine. Low-intensity exercises are also essential in the reduction of edema. Permanent solutions involve a long-term to change lifestyle to reduce the risk of cardiac and blood conditions.
Cellular adaptation refers to the adjustments in body organs in response to environmental changes. The modifications are a common sign of growth, but may also indicate a pathological incidence. In Maria’s case, the enlarged heart is an indication of a pathological problem rather than a healthy one. Various kinds of adaptations involve reduction and increase in the size of the body cells or the increase in their number through mitosis. Hypertrophy is the cellular adaptation that includes the increase in cell size. The adjustment results typically from the formation of more protein in the cells than fluid. Cardiac hypertrophy refers to the expansion of the heart muscle as is the case in athletes, or for pathological reasons caused by lifestyle diseases. It is usually in response to pressure or volume stress (Egbert, Paulina, Michael, & Frank, 2014). Maria’s condition is compensatory since it is the result of a need for the heart to handle the blood pressure. Cardiac hypertrophy occurs in two variants as stated herein. Concentric hypertrophy, which occurs in response to a sustained pressure overload in which wall thickness increases without chamber enlargement, and eccentric hypertrophy, in response to a chronic volume overload in which chamber volume enlarges without a relative increase in its wall thickness.
In Maria’s case, the enlarged heart is the result of hypertension. This condition requires the heart to adapt to the extra pressure of the blood. Hypertension causes the heart to work harder to pump the blood as fast as it comes. Eventually, the heart tires and fails to pump the blood with as much force as is required. The result is fatigue, which Maria complains of experiencing. This condition is common in old people than it is in the youth. Eventually, if hypertension does not undergo the necessary precautionary measures, the heart may fail. Other possible scenarios include the development of ischemic heart disease, which causes further fatigue of the cardiac muscles, or abnormal heart rhythm. Maria may also damage her valves as a result of high blood pressure, and develop varicose veins.
As opposed to Maria’s case, athletes condition their hearts to handle extra work needed in the competitive events in which they participate. Hypertrophy is one of the stages that athletes take towards obtaining maximal strength. In this process, their bodies gain muscles to handle the higher metabolism their activities require. The process involves the increase in the size of all the organs since all the cells are capable of carrying out respiratory functions. Increased exercise requires that the heart pumps blood at a higher pressure to ensure the tissues get oxygen at a rate matching the needs at that time. In Maria’s case, the hypertrophy is not in all the organs in the body. It is only the heart that underwent the increase in the size. This is a dangerous condition since it is the result of hypertension. Maria’s heart will tire quickly and become less efficient with time. It is because her blood pressure is out of control. The blood pressure is always high and does not allow the heart some time to rest and recover its energy. For the athletes, the hypertrophy comes in handy when the heart needs to pump blood at a higher rate during exercise. The heart behaves ordinarily during resting periods and only adapts to the needs of the body. Therefore, Maria cannot reap the benefits of an enlarged heart in the way that athletes enjoy.

References
Egbert, B., Paulina, W., Michael, P., & Frank, H. (2014). Targeting cardiac hypertrophy: Toward a causal heart failure therapy. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 64(4), 293-305. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/cardiovascularpharm/Fulltext/2014/10000/Targeting_Cardiac_Hypertrophy___Toward_a_Causal.1.aspx
Kalogeris, T., Baines, C. P., Krenz, M., & Korthuis, R. J. (2014). Cell Biology of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury. International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology Volume 298, 229-317. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3904795/
Netzer, N. B., Gatterer, H., Faulhaber, M., Burtscher, M., Pramsohler, S., & Pesta, D. (2015). Hypoxia, Oxidative Stress and Fat. Biomolecules, 5(4), 1143-1150. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4496714/
Silveira, M. G., Sousa, A. C., Santos, M. A., Tavares, I. D., Andrade, S. M., Melo, L. D., … Oliveira, J. L. (2015). Assessment of myocardial ischemia in obese individuals undergoing physical stress echocardiography (PSE). Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4495454/