Eve Sullivan
11/14/19
Current Event 8
Saey, Tina Hesman. “Self-Destructing Mitochondria May Leave Some Brain Cells Vulnerable to ALS.” Science News, 14 Nov. 2019,
In her article, Tina Hesman Saey discusses a newly discovered type of mitochondrial self-destruction that may make cells vulnerable to ALS. In mice genetically engineered to develop nerve disease, scientists found that mitochondria were able to destroy themselves. However, this only occurred in brain nerve cells, which help control movements. Death of these cells is common in ALS, so self-destructing mitochondria may set these cells up to eventually die. While clearing out mitochondria is important for cell health, mitochondria can sometimes trigger the programmed death of an entire cell. This is a strong indicator of ALS. The mice in the study had forms of the ALS disease caused by the buildup of one of three abnormal proteins; it was found that mice with an abundance of the TDP-43 protein had mitochondria that dismantled themselves. Though some scientists aren’t convinced that these results are entirely accurate, this study may have resulted in the discovery of a new type of mitochondrial death.
The results of this study could have an enormous impact on modern science; the discovery of a new type of mitochondrial death is a huge development that may result in more scientific breakthroughs. It also helps scientists understand what ALS is and may even lead to ways to prevent it. With over 5,000 people in the U.S. being diagnosed each year, finding the causes of ALS could eventually result in helping those affected by it and lessening the effects of the disease. The discovery of mitochondria self-destruction in the brain cells with the TDP-43 protein is already an amazing advancement that may explain why the disease forms.
Saey’s article is overall very well written. It both explains relevant details and clarifies scientific terms that some people may not know. However, I feel it could be greatly improved if Saey elaborated on the effects of the discovery. Though she spoke of how significant it was to find the self-destructive mitochondria, I think the author could have talked more about how it would influence future scientific findings. Still, Saey’s article was informative and interesting and conveyed the importance of a new type of mitochondria destruction.
Eve’s review of Saey’s article “Self-Destructing Mitochondria May Leave Some Brain Cells Vulnerable to ALS” was very informative. She included important general information, and by compressing it and breaking it down, she made it easier to understand while still using sophisticated language. In her review, Eve discussed how mitochondrial death in brain nerve cells may be a cause of ALS, and highlighted why this discovery was important to the science of medicine. She also provided an unbiased analysis of the article’s shortcomings and backed them up with evidence.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Eve’s review was made big by one major mistake - she failed to disclose what the acronym ALS stands for and what the disease is like. This greatly lowers the effectiveness and impact of her review. Additionally, she could have included quotes from the article she reviewed to make her review more credible and more effective.
The reason this study is important is because it may allow scientists to understand why ALS forms, what causes it, how to treat it and how to lessen its impact on the people who have it. This would help the population suffering from the disease, as over 5,000 people are diagnosed with it each year in the U.S. alone. Additionally, the study of this new type of mitochondrial death may lead to even more breakthroughs.