Two sets of DNA in one person?

A while back I was watching one of my favorite channels "TLC", and I viewed a documentary called "I am my own twin".

It's about people who where shocked to find out that they were chimeric.

Basically a chimeric person is one who was supposed to be a fraternal twin. Of course fraternal twins are are the result of two eggs are fertilized with two sperm. But instead of both eggs developing separately, they fuse very early in development, and then develop as one person.

It was first that thought that chimeric's would have some sort of visual clue's like skin in different shades, or two different color eyes, but the medical community is finding out that this is not always the case.

There is also a condition called Mosaic where there is a slight variation cell to cell with DNA. As I understand it, with chimeric's there is a certain area where all the cells have a different set of DNA. For instance everywhere else in the body may have one set of DNA, but but if a sample is taken from hair, it may contain a completely different set of DNA than say the saliva.

I find this very interesting because how would one know that they are chimeric? And has anyone ever been found not guilty of a crime because the DNA sample retrieved did not come from the same organ as the sample left at a crime scene? And what about paternity tests? Surely some of those many men on the Maury Povitch show are chimeric...right?

I hope more research is done on chimeric's because there seems to be a lot more to be learned.

Your thoughts?

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Strange body facts

I came across this article on AOL.com that touches on some strange (and sometimes yucky) facts about the body.



Is eating boogers bad for you?

"Lung specialist, Dr. Friedrich Bischinger, has been quoted as saying "With the finger, you can get to places you just can't reach with a handkerchief, keeping your nose far cleaner. And eating the dry remains of what you pull out is a great way of strengthening the immune system." However, many doctors disagree. Our fingers are covered in germs and bacteria from touching things like doorknobs, restrooms and phones. If you then use that germ-covered finger to pick your nose, you risk transferring all those germs in to you body. So, if you want to reduce your germ intake, keep that finger to yourself. "

Well, I don't have to worry because I have not eaten a booger since childhood. And if anyone Say's differently they are lying.....unless they have on me video....then I am sure I can come up with a reasonable explanation if I need too.





What did people use to wipe their bums before toilet paper was invented?

"Before modern toilet paper was introduced by Joseph Gayetty in 1857, Americans were stuck using corn cobs or mussel shells. Wealthy Romans used a salt-water soaked sponge tied to the end of a stick to get a clean behind, while the Vikings were fans of leftover sheeps' wool. Coconut shells were the bottom cleansers for Hawaiians, the French used bidets and the Japanese used wooden sticks. "

I will never look at a cob of corn the same way.....




Do bugs live in eyelashes?

"You may have guessed the answer is yes. By the time you are an adult, microscopic, wormlike mites called demodex mites, have made a home in the roots of our eyelashes. If you pull out an eyelash and check under a microscope or magnifying glass you may get a glimpse of these tiny creatures. "

Hmmmm....they should have to pay rent.....


Is it possible for a spider to live inside your ear?

"It's not a common occurrence, but small spiders sometimes make a home in your ear. For example, a Greek woman in Athens complained of headaches and a sharp pain in her ear when riding around on her motorbike. Upon examination, her doctor uncovered a spider's web and then a spider. He added that the spider probably enjoyed its stay in her ear because the temperature was ideal for it. "


I knew there was a reason I never heard my mother telling me to clean my room when I was a teenager...there must have been a spider in my ear!!


Why do certain people attract mosquitoes?

"The mosquito is usually attracted to a person by scent and temperature, but sometimes also by looks. Just like gentlemen, mosquitoes prefer blonds. It's possible that blonds are simply more noticeable to mosquitoes than brunettes."

Note to self....stay away from the blond hair dye.


What are eyebrows for?

"They are certainly expressive, but they also serve to help keep water out of our eyes when we're sweating or walking through the rain. It's especially important to keep sweat out of your eyes because the salt in your sweat can make your eyes sting. In the 1700s, upper-class men and women would shave their natural eyebrows off and glue on fake ones -- made from mouse skin -- on to their brows. "

Well....I guess some women have upgraded from gluing fake eyebrows on, to just drawing them on with an eyebrow pencil. Although....I don't think a pencil keeps the sweat out.


How do astronauts poo in space?

"Buzz Aldrin became the first man to poo on the moon in 1969. He collected his waste in a bag, but because of zero gravity, the contents would often escape during the disposal process and fly around the shuttle. To curb this issue, astronauts ate very little fiber to prevent them from pooing very often. Modern astronaut toilets work like a vacuum cleaner. In order to use the toilet the astronauts must strap themselves to the toilet seat and then turn on a powerful fan. A suction hole then slides open and the poo is sucked away to be stored, and then disposed. "


HaHaHa.......no comment because I am waaaayyyy too mature...(snickers)




Is it safe to drink your own urine?

"Since urine is 95 percent water mixed in with some salt, vitamins, hormones and disease-fighting antibodies, it probably won't do you much harm. However, our kidneys work to remove toxins from the body, so it follows that drinking the product from the kidneys would reintroduce these waste products in to our bodies. "


Well that clears things up....I mean I was just about to try it!!

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Fibroids

Or as some women refer to them...AARRUUGGHH!!

What are they?

A fibroid is a very common benign (noncancerous) growth that takes up residence in a woman's uterus. They may appear "solo" or bring a couple of friends along for the ride.

However they appear, they usually cause numerous problems for the woman afflicted with them. Among those problems are heavy periods, pain, infertility and frequent urination as the growths press on the bladder.

Emedicine.com offers this information:

"These growths occur in about 25% of all women and are the leading cause of hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) in the United States. Of every woman older than 35 years, 1 in 5 has a uterine fibroid. An estimated 600,000 hysterectomies (removal of the uterus) are performed in the US annually, and at least one-third are for fibroids. Medications and newer, less invasive surgery can control the growth of fibroids. Fibroids start in the muscle tissues of the uterus. They can grow into the uterine cavity, into the thickness of the uterine wall, or on the surface of the uterus into the abdominal cavity. Although these tumors are called fibroids, this term is misleading because they consist of muscle tissue, not fibrous tissue. "

Fibroids are stimulated by the hormone estrogen, but there are factors that increase a woman's chance of developing them. They include:

Obesity

nulliparity (never having given birth to a child) Starting your menstrual cycle before the age of ten

Being of African descent

So how does a doctor treat them?
In most cases your doctor will only treat them if they are causing you problems. For instance if they are causing pain, an non steroidal anti-inflammatory like ADVIL will be given. But this seems the most simple of the treatments.

If you want to control a heavy flow, birth control pills may be prescribed. However, being that they contain estrogen, they may increase the size of the fibroid.

Your doctor may also opt to remove them surgically. If this is done, you will most often be given GnRH (Gonadotropin releasing hormone ) or RU-486. the purpose is to shrink the fibroid before surgery to restrict the amount of blood loss during.

The side effects are the same for any woman facing a decreased amount of estrogen (vaginal dryness, hot flashes, decreased bone density etc).

There is a newer procedure that is called Uterine artery embolization, and what happens is a catheter is inserted into the femoral artery which is housed in the leg, small spongy particles that are about the size of a grain of sand are inserted and this material helps to block the flow of blood to the fibroid which in turn shrinks it.

And of course there is also a hysterectomy which unfortunately is a common procedure in the treatment of fibroids. Any surgery is MAJOR surgery in my opinion.

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Update: Thanks to an alert anon, there is also another procedure available called MRgfus (MR guided Focused Ultrasound ) . This basically works by the use of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to help find the area that needs to be treated, and then an ultrasound beam that guides heat to he fibroid to destory it. You can read more about it here and thanks to the anon that provided this info.

Is there any other way to help shrink fibroids?

Why yes, there is.

According to an article on the greatest herbs on earth vigorous exercise helps to bring on regular ovulation. This helps because irregular ovulation seems to make ovulation worse.
Or perhaps try eating more servings of whole grains or beans daily. If you do you will have the added benefit of possibly keeping breast and endometrial cancers at bey.

Are there some herbal medicines that might help?

Yes, dandelion , milk thistle or yellow dock help by strengthening the liver, and the liver helps to metabolize estrogen out of the body.

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Feel free to share any additional information that you may have.

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Did you ever want to know how to intubate someone?

Well here is an instructional video just for you.

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Medical Marijuana

This video shows how marijuana can be used without breathing in all of the harmful toxins.

Disclaimer: I do not endorse nor condone the use of any controlled substance for medical or recreation purposes Or because you and your buddies became bored with nothing to do on a weekend.

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Shea butter-Healing properties?

With the big surge of cosmetic companies incorporating "natural" ingredients into their products most of you have probably heard of shea butter. But I am not sure that most know how versatile it is.

Lets first take a look at what it is. It is the fatty product of the fruit of a shea (Karite) tree, that is obtained from countless hours of crushing and then boiling. The tree is native to the African continent.

I know it as an excellent skin moisturizer. Whenever my skin is looking a little "weathered" I treat it to a soak in the tub and the use of some natural shea soap and after drying off I allow the heat from my skin to melt the butter allowing it to sink right in. The results are amazing!! I mean, I would post pics but everyone would just start sending e-mail's asking for my autograph, and who really has time for that?

It is also fantastic for dry brittle hair. As a pre-shampoo treatment I saturate my hair with olive oil, and then apply shea butter paying close attention to the ends. After applying a plastic cap, I sit under a hooded dryer for about an hour, and I can hear my hair saying , "Thank you".

I was pleasantly surprised to read of the other uses. They include :

Extreme dryness

psoriasis

eczema

dermatitis

skin allergies

fungal infections

blemishes

wrinkles

stretch marks

scars

scrapes

So what's in it that causes it to be so good for you? Well first they contain phytonutrients that are utilized in cell regeneration and healing. Vitamin A Helps to repair the skin. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant. It helps the skin remain it's elasticity as it contains Lupeol and Beta-Amyrin, Vitamin A and Cinnamic Acid which all help to inhibit the enzyme Elastase which is responsible for breaking down elastin, and elastin is what causes our skin to be ...well...elsatic. Now we don't want that, now do we?

One thing to remember is that shea butter must be used consistently over a period of time before any results are seen, but if you make it a part of your regular beauty regime you should have no problem.

The only thing that bothers me about this wonderful emollient is that the women who put in so much work, grinding the shea nut by hand to bring this product to us get menial pay, while the middle man sees all of the profit.

Some tips on buying Shea butter,

Natural shea butter can vary in color from yellow to a light tan. A white product is a product that has been refined which is usually done to remove the smell but it also removes the properties that make it so useful.

Be advised that just because you see she butter as an ingredient listed in you favorite product, does not make it a good product. Most have been expressed using Hexane not to mention the other ingredients which could be toxic to your system.

I have always found it cheaper to buy in bulk from a company that specializes in soap making. No fancy packages no high prices. Two of my favorites are:

www.texasnaturalsupply.com

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/

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How cranberry juice Prevents urinary tract infections

Hmmm...this is pretty interesting.

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