Answers for Forensics Take-Home Quiz

  The most plausible death cause of the victim would be heavy blood loss as a result of an accidental murder of an animal hunter. The bullet wound of the victim began from the left lateral side 1cm above the 3rd rib in a 45-degree downward angle, and ended 5 cm above the belly button in umbilical region of abdomen. Also, the 8th rib on the right side was fractured. The trail of the bullet travels through the liver and possibly the stomach. Since the liver plays a major role in metabolism, and is in charge of decomposition of red blood cells and detoxification. Therefore, the punctured liver would stop working, thus the metabolism of the body would stop and the red blood cells would not be decomposed or detoxificated and eventually escape from the body. Also, the escaping enzymes and strong acids in the punctured stomach would decompose tissues and organs, and harm other systems in the victim's body.

  Other plausible causes of the death would be:
1. Physical conflict, because there is bullet wound in victim's body, which may result from an argument. However, this possibility is eliminated because there is no sign of struggle from the victim, nor bruises as results of fighting. Also, the unusual 45-degree angle of bullet trail increases the doubt of the possibility of intentional murder as well.
2. Suicide, because the bullet trail began from the front of the victim's body. However, the possibility is eliminated as well because of the unusual 45-degree downward angle, and the absence of the gun near the victim's body.
3. Animal Attack. This possibility is eliminated because no superficial cut or bruise is found on the victim's body.

Weekly Update: Last Class of Cancer!

     Today we shared our research results of the question about stem cells we picked on the class blog. Carrissa, Lucy and I worked on one of my questions posted about Michael Bay's film The Island, which is whether the organs needed for transplant can be bred independently without building an entire clone. Our answers show that it is possible, but very difficult as well, since the organs in human body can barely survive without a supporting system.
     Human organ transplant has been a very critical issue recently, because the demand is always larger than the supply. The supply of organs was completely based on donations of the deceased, and it is dependent on the number of people willing to donate organs and whether it will match with the recipients' bodies.

     

     The scientists are developing 3 approaches to solve this problem. The first approach would be therapeutic cloning. This technology specifically deals with stem cells in human body. The adult stem cells can be converted to pluripotent stem cells which can transform to any type of cells in body. However, this carries a huge risk as well, because the recipient will have a higher chance to get cancer, because the new stem cells are more susceptible to proto-oncogene mutations.
     The second approach scientists are currently developing is xenoplantation, which means transplanting animal organs. Particularly, the scientists are looking at transplanting pig organs to human body due to their similar organ structures and sizes. Early attempts of this development can be traced back to late 1990s. However, the early experiments failed because the recipient's body recognized pig organ as a foreign tissue and attacked the organ. Therefore, the scientists will modify the pig genetically in their embryonic period, by adding 6 human genes in their stem cells to regulate the response from the recipient. However, this technology are considered unethical, and thus its application will be very limited.

     The final approach is the latest 3-D printing technology. Currently, researchers are printing mini organ systems in order to test the responses of new drugs from human body. The ultimate goal is to build a fully functional organ that would address the issue of the gap between organ supplies and demands.
     For the assignment today, I watched a Ted Talk video about new organ growth with new biotechnology. If the organs needed is small, it can be regenerated with smart biomaterials. The smart biomaterials served as the bridge in the gap of wounded organ (urethra), and the wound can be healed after the body regenerates itself to connect both ends of the bridges. Since the body can only regenerate in a very limited distance (around 1cm), a larger injured organ can be difficult for transplant. The technology requires a small part from the injured tissue, take the cells out, and let them grow and expand outside the body before the scaffold material is applied to take the cells back into the body. If a solid organ is injured, the methods of 3-D printing and de-cellularized organs can both be useful. The decellularized organs are skeletons of the organs that carry no cell elements. Later on, we can inject the cells of the patient to the new liver, and let them expand and grow to fully functional organs.

- Andy Liu '15

Ethical and scientific questions about "The Island"

                 

1. Ethics: After the clones are released from their habitat, how will they adapt to the human society? Particularly, what identities should they have when there are still real humans that have the same physical traits as them? How should the government deal with the clones if they began to steal those people's identities?

2. Science: Since clones can develop their own emotions and intelligence, which can be a threat to the human society, while the humans only need some healthy organs of the clones, is there any way the scientists can breed the required organs only? 

Comment on "Your Inner Healers"

  The article I read for the assignment involves a new type of biotechnology and the enormous potential that comes with it. A group of Japanese scientists discovered a formula for creating induced pluripotent stem cells from adult cells with only four necessary genes and without eggs or embryos. By dedifferentiating (reverting back to a more primitive type) the adult stem cells, we can discover the source of many diseases that we fail to cure today, and find new ways of therapy.
  However, I don't believe that the technology considered as the modern "Fountain of Youth" is ethical. The entire idea of evolution and natural selection discovered by Charles Darwin was based on survival of the fittest. Species adapt to different environments by mutations, and the group that cannot survive becomes extinct. This has always been the rule of the jungle as we know it, and defying that rule will not make us God or Mother Nature itself. When this type of technology applies to everyone in the world, when everyone can live as long as they want, and when all humans stops producing new generations due to overpopulation, will the technology make us the saviors of mankind, or the destroyers of the world?

- Andy Liu '15