Cervical Vertebrae Injury

Whiplash injury - Parts of the cervical spine
The cervical spine is the area most affected when a whiplash injury occurs. The whiplash motion causes a sudden jerk of the cervical spine, often stretching the muscles and ligaments. Read an overview of whiplash injury.
A whiplash injury can cause much pain and discomfort to the neck, shoulders, back and head and recovery can take up to a few months. Read more about diagnosis and prognosis of whiplash injury.
This part of the spine is the most flexible and consists of the first seven vertebrae, starting just below the skull and ending at the top of the thoracic spine.
The vertebrae
The vertebrae are designed to support the weight imposed on the spine and the first two vertebrae are intended principally for rotation.
The first vertical body is called the atlas and bears the weight of the head. It is named after the Greek god who supported the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Axis is the next vertebra which sits below the atlas. This features the odontoid process, a bony knob which sticks up between an opening in the atlas and allows the head to turn from side to side.
Special ligaments sit between the atlas and axis to enable rotation. If these ligaments are damaged during a whiplash injury, the head will be severely restricted and very painful.
The intervertebral discs
These can be found between each vertebra. They are designed to shock absorb any strains to the spine and allow a certain degree of movement between each vertebral body.
The facet joints
Facet joints connect the bony arches of each of the vertebral bodies, allowing individual bones of the spine to move and rotate with flexibility. Facet joints connect each vertebra with the vertebra above and below it.
The neural foramen
This is an opening or protective passageway where the nerves exit the spinal canal in order to carry signals to the rest of the body. Two are located between each pair of vertebrae.
The spinal cord
The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system and is essentially an extension of the brain. It extends from the base of the brain to the area between the first lumbar vertebra and the top of the second.
The nerves in each area of the spinal cord connect to specific body parts. The nerves of the cervical spine go to the upper chest and arms, explaining why pain and pins and needles to the upper arms is a common consequence of whiplash injury. Read more about signs and symptoms of whiplash injury.
Sustaining a spinal cord injury as the result of a whiplash motion is rare because the spinal cord is surrounded by a membrane called dura mater and is also protected by the bones of the spinal column.

Suspicious connection between vitamin D levels and the flu

The seven questions posed by this study in the abstract as well as the introduction are very interesting:

http://www.virologyj.com/content/5/1/29

Vitamin D Levels Tied to Dementia Risk

NYTimes.com: "...vitamin D receptors are present in a variety of cells, including neurons and the glial cells associated with them. That suggests that the vitamin may play a role in brain development and the protection of neurons"

Cartilage and Aging

Journal Article: In class the question of how cartilage ages came up. Here is an abstract of a paper that looks at the age-related changes seen in the chondrocytes within articular cartilage (the thin layer of hyaline cartilage that covers the surface of bones at joints): "These changes most likely are the result of an age related decrease in the ability of chondrocytes to maintain and repair the tissue manifested by decreased mitotic and synthetic activity, decreased responsiveness to anabolic growth factors and synthesis of ... less functional link proteins".

These changes are considered to be directly related to the increase in osteoarthritis that is so typical of the aging process.

Flab and freckles could advance stem cell research

 From Nature News,  September 7, 2009:

"Fat cells and pigment-producing skin cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells much faster and more efficiently than the skin cells that are usually used — suggesting large bellies and little black moles could provide much-needed material for deriving patient-specific stem cells.
"More than one type of adult somatic cell can serve as a target for reprogramming to a pluripotent state," says William Lowry, a stem-cell biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the research. "You don't have to use fibroblasts. There are other possibilities."

Click on the link above for the complete article.

The research the article is based upon is from this paper: Sun, N. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA advance online publication doi:10.1073/pnas.0908450106 (2009).

How to tell your fibroblasts to get to work

To stave off premature aging:

633-nm and 830-nm wavelength light therapy for an increase in collagen fibers:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16989189

Topical Retin-A and Tazorac for increased collagen production:

Retin-A, Renova, Avita (drug name tretinoin) and Tazorac (drug name tazarotene), prescribed by your doctor or dermatologist, are still the gold standards among topical prescription products for improving the appearance of sun-damaged (wrinkled and discolored) skin. Tretinoin has the ability to return abnormal skin cell production back to some level of normalcy—think of it as the guru of cell-communicating ingredients. The result in most cases is an improvement in skin's collagen production, which makes skin smoother and offers a modest (but noticeable) decrease in the depth and appearance of wrinkles; Tazarotene is believed to work similarly to tretinoin (Sources: Cutis, February 2005, pages 10-13; Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, July 2004, pages 465-473; and Dermatologic Surgery, June 2004, pages 864-866).

And finally, from the cosmeticscop.com boards:

If anything, the research shows that AHAs can increase collagen production and improve skin structure. The sources are numerous, including Experimental Dermatology (December 2003, Supplement, pages 57-63), which states: "GA [glycolic acid] ... directly accelerates collagen synthesis by fibroblasts.... GA contributes to the recovery of photodamaged skin through various actions, depending on the skin cell type." Cancer Letters (December 2002, pages 125-135) says: "Glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid ... has been commonly used as a cosmetic ingredient since it is known to have photo-protective and anti-inflammatory effects, and anti-oxidant effect in UV-[exposed] skin." Or see the Journal of Dermatology (February 1998, pages 85-89): "the favorable effects of glycolic acid treatment on aging skin were [obtained] by increased cell proliferation in addition to functional activation of fibroblasts [collagen producing cells]." Or see the British Journal of Dermatology (December 1996, pages 867-875), which states "Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) ... normalize [skin cell growth] and increase viable epidermal thickness and dermal glycosaminoglycans content."

Brown-eyed people have more cataracts

Brown-eyed people have more cataracts : "People with dark brown eyes may be at greater risk for developing cataracts than people with lighter eyes, according to a report in a recent issue of Sun & Skin News, a publication of The Skin Cancer Foundation. An Australian team of researchers followed 2,335 individuals of at least 49 years old, and found that those with brown eyes proved 80% more likely than those with blue eyes to develop nuclear cataracts. They were also 2.5 times more likely to need surgery."

Wow, just the opposite of what I would expect. Hard to explain the results given that the lens of a brown-eyed individual should be exposed to less UV light, compared to someone with blue eyes.

Skin cells changed into retina tissue - JSOnline

Skin cells changed into retina tissue - JSOnline: "Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have reprogrammed skin cells and turned them into different kinds of retinal cells, a remarkable demonstration that mimicked the early development of a key part of the human eye and raised hopes for treating disorders that rob millions of their vision."