How do Medicines Work?

I've always taken medicines for granted, not knowing how they actually work.  I was just researching online because this came up in mind to me, how I never understood how medicines actually work.

Medicines work in a variety of different ways.  The more common ones we take are used to: relieve pain, fight infection, fight diseases, and supplement a deficiency.  But how exactly do the medicines do these jobs?

Well, it all starts off by knowing what happens to the medicine when it enters your body.  There are four main parts to how medicines are processed by your body.  These include administration, delivery, performance, and elimination.

In order for all medicines to work, the must be absorbed into the blood. The most common type of medicine, an oral pill, goes into the stomach and then reaches the small intestine.  These medicines are then absorbed in the small intestine into the blood stream.  So basically, almost all medicines get absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine, or they are just injected directly into the bloodstream.

The full article can be found here.

Popeye the Chemist?

Children and adults alike have always been told to eat their vegetables. It has long been known that vegetables contain many essential vitamins and proteins that are beneficial to our bodys. But does anyone truly know just how necessary these yucky green plants are to our bodys? If there are any people who understand the benefits of vegetables, Popeye the Sailor definitely falls under this category. For years, Popeye has been chugging down his cans of Spinach, which have never failed to provide him with all the strength and energy required to be the main character of a television series. But how realistic are the benefits of Popeye's eating habits?

A new study from engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows, for the first time, the benefits of spinach and broccoli for our bones. In essence, this study reveals how the little-understood protein osteocalcin plays a significant role in the strength of our bones.

Diagram portraying role of osteocalcin in bone (showing origins of bone fractures):

The significance in this study lies in the fact that it is the first study to ever implicate the role of osteocalcin in giving bone the ability to resist fracture. Since osteocalcin is always the point of fracture, strengthening this protein could lead to the overall strengthening of the bone. However, osteocalcin is also associated with Type 2 Diabetes and problems in reproductive health as well.

Thus, this study is not only promising for the strengthening of bones, but also for a better means of treating Type 2 diabetes and reproductive health issues. The findings of this research study are very promising, and could lead to new strategies and therapeutics for fighting osteoporosis and lowering the risks and pain associated with bone fractures.

 - Sam Choi

New Optical Tweezers for Trapping Specimens Just Nanometers Across

A novel technique has been created by chemistry researchers of Stanford University that poses a great potential leap in the chemistry world. This microscale technique known as "Optical Trapping" uses beams of light as tweezers to hold and manipulate tiny psrticles. This method allows scientists to Trap particles that are smaller than 10 nanometers. Up to this point in time, it was impossible even for top tier scientists with access to the best of technology to manipulate particles of such a small size. This developmet of a new method of trspping particles opens up a myriad of potential uses. The design for this light particle tool is near completion, and researchers expect to develop a prototype by early 2013. Here's a link to the original article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121204154418.htm Stay updated for new posts coming soon! - Sammy C