GTL; But the T can RUIN YOU!!

As the weather gets warmer many people are making their way back to the tanning salon but while visiting take this in consideration; tanning is bad. People use tanning to achieve a “healthy glow.” According to Palo Allto Medical Foundation a tan “really shows the skin trying to protect itself from sun damage.” This occurs when skin is exposed to radiation, and the skin responds by producing melanin. Melanin is described as a “dark substance that helps prevent the body from taking in too many harmful sunrays,” which causes damage to the skin in the long run. You can tan in many ways. Some people use the Sun to expose skin to harmful rays. Others use tanning bed or lamps which is safer because you can alter intensity and length of your tanning session. The best way to get a natural tan is using bronzing product. These products give an instant glow you can wash off with soap and water. To read more about what is tanning visit http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/skin/sun.html

 picture by anonymous

 Tanning has many effects on one’s body. When tanning you can face skin problems making your skin flakey and increase the risk of skin cancer. “The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that melanoma appears to be caused when ultraviolet (UV) rays found in tanning beds break down the genetic codes in the skin cells. "This leads to genetic mutations in the skin, and cancerous lesions such as melanomas can develop.” Tanning also causes premature aging. Premature aging can result in skin that wrinkles earlier than it should and may even appear leathery. Also tanning impacts the body’s immune system. According to KidsHealth.org, “UV light can penetrate through the skin and into the delicate blood vessels and nerves that are found underneath the skin. Because of the damage to these sensitive tissues, a person's immune system can be damaged, making it more difficult to fight off serious diseases such as cancer.”  In very few cases tanning leads to eye problems. Cataracts can be caused by being exposed to the UV rays without wearing appropriate goggles. Night blindness can also occur due to macular degeneration. In worst cases someone can go blind. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/69765-effects-tanning-beds-body/

Tanning gone bad picture by anonymous 

Here’s a few tanning tips:

 Avoid sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when it's brightest.

Wear UV-protective lens, or don't wear sunglasses at all.

Use sunscreen every day if you are exposed to sun for more than 20 minutes.

A LITTLE MOSQUITO with such a Big BITE!

Picture by: Nauman Malik

            Ever had a mosquito? Imagine being bite by a mosquito and waking up with a rash, headache and a fever? Well a mosquito known as Aedes aegypti mosquito is biting many individuals leaving them with dengue fever. In  Southeast Asia was reported to have 200 people dead due to dengue fever. Dengue is a disease transmitted by mosquito and causes an infection with flu-like symptoms. The question on many researchers mind is what caused this widespread infection?

            According to "Defective" Virus Leads to Epidemic of Dengue Fever this infection may be “defective.” This article defines a defective virus as a “results from genetic mutations or deletions that eliminate essential function.” This virus has a huge mutation rate which played a key factor in spreading this disease. With a huge amount of researcher it was proven this virus was spreading quickly because it was fusing with a functional virus “tagging along” making it more transmissible. The functional and nonfunctional virus, travel as one trying to get into the same cell to share their genes.

            The article also states the defective virus interferes with “diseases-causing virus making the disease less intense.” Since people had less effect of the milder disease they are mostly likely responsible for spreading the disease by going outside. The scientist use gene sequencing to show the defective virus and display its unbroken chain. Lloyd-Smith and Ke (scientist conducting research) are looking for a cure using mathematical models and bioinformatics.To read more about this study click this link :http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=127103&org=NSF. 

Picture by:  Mikael Häggström