Universal Medicine

The general rule of mitochondrial inheritance is: ‘ 37 genes mitochondrial DNA of maternal origin’ Nothing more and nothing less. What would we do without it? This well-supported assumption about mitochondrial inheritance has formed the frameworks for decades of calculations that then went on to inform the bulk of modern ancestral analyses. Recognised as one of the most reliable methods for understanding phylogeny, due to its reliable and slow rate of mutation, small changes in mitochondrial DNA among isolated groups signposted the split from a mother and thus revealed details on evolutionary origins and likely historical migration patterns. Though, in the same way that the organisms we study themselves evolve, our understanding is once more on the brink of a revolution. Beliefs in the background In 2002, danish researchers challenged this widely-held understanding after studying a male patient whose DNA was sequenced in the hopes of finding the origins of his mitoch...

Medical robots are being put into practice as they can help increase safety, quality and precision for medical professionals. Robotic technology is always advancing and a wide range of robots are being developed to suit roles in the medical environment. These are some examples of robotic technology being used in dentistry. Dental Implant Robot In 2017, a robotic dentist fitted two dental implants into a woman’s mouth in china. Medical staff were present during the operation and programmed the robot’s movements but did not intervene in the surgery. The 3D printed teeth were fitted within a margin of error 0.2-0.3 mm, which is standard for implant surgery. China has a shortage of qualified dentists so robotic dentistry would help meet the demand. Robotic dentistry could also help reduce the risk of human-made errors. Yomi US company (Neocis) announced last year that the US Food & Drug Administration had given clearance for them to introduce the first robotically assisted ...

We all know of the classical model of sexual reproduction- The haploid chromosome sets of paternal and maternal gametes fuse together after 5 minutes of a steamy, unprotected tango, to form a diploid cell. This diploid cell then undergoes mitosis until we get the formation of a totipotent mass of embryonic stem cells. But what if possibilities existed outside of the natural order? What if it doesn’t necessarily ‘take a man and a woman’? What if it we could procreate using two unisex haploid cells and a fancy laboratory? On Thursday October 11th 2018 the Chinese Academy of Science made a breakthrough in field of sexual reproduction. The terms Parthenogenesis and Androgenesis refer to the formation of an embryonic stem cell from solely respectively maternal or paternal DNA. Rare in nature and near non-existent amongst mammals, this is how the Chinese Academy of Science managed to produce generations of both bimaternal and bipaternal mice. How modern humanity replicates Parthenogenesis ...

The national institute of mental health defines stress as “the brain's response to any demand”. The two main types are acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is the most common form of stress and comes from demands and pressures of recent and anticipated demands and pressures. Too much acute can be exhausting however as it tends to be short term acute stress doesn’t have enough time to do extensive damage. Chronic stress is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period of time in which an individual perceives they have little or no control over their situation. Chronic stress can form from traumatic, early childhood experiences that become internalised and remain present. It isn’t specifically the stress that is the problem but the build up of cortisol in the brain which can lead to health problems. Our body’s response to stress begins with the amygdala (cluster of cell nuclei inside the temporal lobe that processes emotional data) sends a message...

Research methods are always adapting and we are always discovering new things. Dentistry is constantly adjusting to new research that betters the patient’s experience. Here are some examples of the latest changes. High-tech X-rays Digitized x-rays have replaced traditional radiographs as they are much faster and efficient. Before patients would have to hold film in their mouths for a long period of time whereas now an image is captured by an electrical sensor or phosphor plate being placed in the mouth. There is less radiation as the sensor and plates are more sensitive to x-rays. The image can be scanned to a computer and stored which allows dentists to compare x-ray images from previous appointments. These type of x-rays are useful for finding cavities, seeing the bone below the teeth, check implant placements and see if root canals have been performed correctly.  Use of lasers Lasers are more frequently being used in the detection and removal of cavities. This means t...

Otherwise referred to as Fibro or ‘The Invisible Illness’ in chronic communities, Fibromyalgia is a chronic hypersensitivity disorder characterised by generalized and intense musculoskeletal pain, accompanied by intermittent periods of fatigue and cognitive impairment (i.e. loss of concentration and memory loss) known as ‘fibro fog’. Often initially masked by other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, fibromyalgia is said to impact up to 5 million americans, with an increased presence in women over men( a ratio of respectively 6:1). So, that’s all well and good, but what's the big deal with fibromyalgia? and why should we pay any particular attention? Well, though controversy begins at its unidentified cause, the medical debate reaches its peak once these conclusions impact the ethical behaviour of certain practitioners. So, without further ado, here’s a case study on Fibromyalgia, how it affects the patient to practitioner relationship and why even doctors ...