One day at school ...
Dylan: Did you know that science has global implication?
Kate: Global implication? What does it mean?
Dylan: It means that science can give influence to the global society and it can help us to solve many global issues, like the issue of climate change, infectious disease, protection of endangered species, and many others.
Kate: Superb! I couldn't even imagine how this world would be without science.
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Dylan: Did you know that science has global implication?
Kate: Global implication? What does it mean?
Dylan: It means that science can give influence to the global society and it can help us to solve many global issues, like the issue of climate change, infectious disease, protection of endangered species, and many others.
Kate: Superb! I couldn't even imagine how this world would be without science.
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The conversation above is an example of how you may think about global implication of science. What Dylan has explained is definitely true. Scientific knowledge can be implemented to solve global issues. As an example, i would like to take "cancer treatment" as an example. The development of cancer treatment (e.g. medicine or theraphy to treat cancer) is an example of how the development of scientific knowledge have been helping us to solve problems in our society.
Follow the explanation below to understand this matter.
Follow the explanation below to understand this matter.
1. What is cancer?
Cancer is a collection of related disease in which the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues. In other words, cancer cells will grow out of control, it divides continuously and become invasive. (Read more here)
2. What happens in cancerous cell's metabolism?
If we think about how cancerous cells could grow continuously, we may think about how this type of cell can produce energy? (Simply because if you have energy, you can continue to grow). Well, there is a unique difference between normal and cancerous cells in the way they produce their energy. Normal cells produce their energy (ATP) through aerobic respiration, in which glucose will first be processed through glycolysis to produce pyruvate. This pyruvate will then be processed in mitochondria to produce up to 38 ATP, as well as H2O and CO2 as byproducts.
Unlike normal cells, cancerous cells will not process the pyruvate (product of glucose conversion) in mitochondria even when the oxygen are in abundance. In cancerous cells, glucose will be converted to pyruvate and the continued to produce lactic acid. The conversion of glucose into lactic acid in the presence of oxygen is known as Warburg Effect.
Can you guess what does it means when your cells produce a lot of lactic acid? Yes, You will have a high pH (acidic).
Unlike normal cells, cancerous cells will not process the pyruvate (product of glucose conversion) in mitochondria even when the oxygen are in abundance. In cancerous cells, glucose will be converted to pyruvate and the continued to produce lactic acid. The conversion of glucose into lactic acid in the presence of oxygen is known as Warburg Effect.
Can you guess what does it means when your cells produce a lot of lactic acid? Yes, You will have a high pH (acidic).
(Read the article online here, or you can leave your email address below if you need the full paper of the article)
3. How the knowledge of cellular respiration can help to develop cancer treatment?
When we know the difference mechanism of energy production between normal cells and cancerous cells, we can then tried to think about possible way to treat the cancer. (Well, yeah, it's the job of scientists. But we can try to help! ^^)
Scientists has also been using the knowledge of cellular respiration process to find a possible cancer treatment, for instance by targeting the mitochondria. Why is it a possible way to treat cancer? As we know that cancerous cell will convert glycolysis into pyruvate in the presence of oxygen (Warburg effect), researcher proposed that improving the capability of mitochondria to produce energy is a fruitful way of treating cancerous cells.
Can you think of other possible way to treat cancer based on you understadning of cellular respiration concepts?
Please share your opinion on the comment section below!
Scientists has also been using the knowledge of cellular respiration process to find a possible cancer treatment, for instance by targeting the mitochondria. Why is it a possible way to treat cancer? As we know that cancerous cell will convert glycolysis into pyruvate in the presence of oxygen (Warburg effect), researcher proposed that improving the capability of mitochondria to produce energy is a fruitful way of treating cancerous cells.
Can you think of other possible way to treat cancer based on you understadning of cellular respiration concepts?
Please share your opinion on the comment section below!