Expansion On The Recent Discoveries Concerning Nitric Oxide :: essays research papers

Expansion on the Recent Discoveries Concerning Nitric Oxideas presented by Dr. red cent R. LancasterNitric Oxide, or NO, its chemical representation, was until recently notconsidered to be of both benefit to the life processes of animals, much lesshuman worlds. However, studies have lay down that this simple compound had anabundance of uses in the body, ranging from the nervous system to the fruitful system. Its many uses be still being explored, and it is hopedthat it posterior play an restless role in the cures for certain types of cancers andtumors that form in the brain and separate parts of the body.Nitric Oxide is not to be confused with nitrous oxide, the last mentioned ofwhich is commonly known as laughing gas. Nitric oxide has one much electron thanthe anesthetic. NO is not soluble in water. It is a spend a penny gas. When NO isexposed to air, it mixes with oxygen, yielding nitrogen IV dioxide, a brownish gaswhich is soluble in water. These are just a a couple of(prenominal) of the chemical properties of nitric oxide. With the total life expectancy of nitric oxide being from six toten seconds, it is not surprising that it has not been until recently that itwas detect in the body. The compound is quickly converted into nitrates andnitrites by oxygen and water. nonetheless even its short-lived life, it has found manyfunctions within the body. Nitric oxide enables sportsmanlike blood cells to kill tumorcells and bacteria, and it allows neurotransmitters to dilate blood vessels. Italso serves as a messenger for neurons, like a neurotransmitter. The compoundis also accountable for penile erections. Further experiments may lead to itsuse in retrospection research and for the treatment of certain neurodegenerativedisorders. One of the most exciting discoveries of nitric oxide involves itsfunction in the brain. It was first discovered that nitric oxide played a rolein the nervous system in 1982. Small sums of it prove useful in the openingo f calcium ion channels (with glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter) displacea strong excitatory impulse. However, in larger amounts, its effects are quiteharmful. The channels are forced to fire more rapidly, which can kill the cells.This is the cause of most strokes. To find where nitric oxide is found in thebrain, scientists used a purification method from a tissue warning of the brain.One scientist discovered that the synthesis of nitric oxide required thepresence of calcium, which practically acts by binding to a ubiquitous cofactor calledcalmodulin. A small amount of calmodulin is added to the enzyme preparations,