CELL SUICIDE or Programmed Cell Death or PCD as it has been shortened to, sounds awful but its one of the most necessary things that has to occur for life to continue.
I have been looking at life through the eyes of planets and the eyes of the tiniest cells to see the commonality to these and humanity. What I have gleaned is this; 'death' is not what we have been made or trained or led to believe it is.
All of lives we are taught to fear death and to discuss death or plan anything about it is considered uncool. I think this is because people become very uncomfortable due to this past programming.
Some people even lie to their loved ones and keep from them the facts about their health or the facts of their impending death. People need to know they are dying so they can prepare. This action by friends and relatives does not allow proper cell suicide to occur in the person dying. People need to give their loved ones permission to die if dying has been a taboo. A taboo never really helped anyone.
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| In Memory of a dead loved person - Steven Campbell |
The article I read below on facebook regarding 'Mothballs" was interesting because I was a lover of Moth Balls. Not because I like toxic things but because it reminded me of my childhood and the exciting smell of winter jumpers coming down from the high cupboard and blankets packed away and the end of summer.
I had no idea it played a role in interrupting normal cell death. This is quite serious. Moth balls are not so much an issue today as much as "Air Fresheners" and "Fresh Blocks" and Toilet sprays could be. People here in Australia hardly use mothballs and they are difficult to purchase.
Its just not the done thing, people no longer store their winter things for long term. Consumerism has given way to buying brand news ones. It has changed to how things were done in the past and jumpers are no longer stored in the same fashion as when we were young.
"At the cellular level, death is essential for life. Apoptosis, sometimes called "cellular suicide," is a normal, programmed
process of cellular self-destruction. Even though it involves cell
death, apoptosis serves a healthy and protective role in our bodies" Live Science
There is hardly a case to use these anymore now is there. I just didn't know the science the ingredients of the balls.
Mothballs, air fresheners and cancer
What
do mothballs and some air fresheners have in common? They both contain
chemical compounds which are carcinogenic. Mothballs and some air
fresheners contain the chemicals paradichlorobenzene (PCDB) and
naphthalene. A recent study from the University of Colorado has
pinpointed why these chemicals can cause cancer. Both chemicals have
been found to block apoptosis, the normal process of “cell suicide”.
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| Labelled
diagram of a cell undergoing apoptosis. File adapted from a German
Wikipedia entry: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Apoptose-german.png
(Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
“Apoptosis
serves as a checking mechanism to ensure that the right amount of cells
are generated in the body,” said Dr. Ding Xue who headed the research
team. In Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinsons’s disease, too much
apoptosis is occurring, while in cancer and autoimmune disorders, too
little apoptosis occurs, he explained. The study showed that both
chemicals blocked enzymes which initiated apoptosis.
Understanding
how carcinogenic compounds can trigger tumor growth is important for
federal regulatory agencies that deal with human exposure to hazardous
chemicals, said Xue.
More
than 1 million pounds of naphthalene and PDCB are used by consumers
annually. The chemicals are most commonly found in solid toilet block
deodorizers, solid and spray air fresheners, and moth balls and
crystals. One company describes its product this way,
Closet Freshener block is made of pure Paradichlorobenzene
crystals and top quality fragrance pressed into large 275 gram
rectangles with a hanger built right in. When the cellophane wrapper is
slit or removed, the "para-zene" begins to evaporate, releasing a clean
fresh scent. Our assorted pack contains Lavender, Summer Potpourri,
Pine, and Cedar.
Parachlorodibenzene
is a pesticide. The US EPA requires that moth repellent products
containing paradichlorobenzene bear warnings such as "avoid breathing
vapors" to warn users of potential short-term toxic effects. Yet
paradichlorobenzene is also the key active ingredient in many air
fresheners. Paradichlorobenzene is also an eye irritant and, according
to the US National Toxicology Program, possibly causes reproductive
damage.
The
Janitor’s Product Pollution Prevention Project places PCBD in the
category “Do Not Use - Severe Health Risk to Janitor and Building
Occupants.”
Naphthalene
and PDCB have been shown to cause cancer in rodents and are classified
by the National Toxicology Program and the International Association for
Research on Carcinogens as potential human carcinogens. However, their
biochemistry has not been well understood, said Xue.
The
methodology used in the study may mark a scientific breakthrough in
determining whether other chemicals may cause cancer in humans. " For
the first time, we have developed a systematic way to screen virtually
any potential cancer-causing chemical that may affect humans using these
nematodes as animal models, " said Hue.
The study was published in the
June 2006 issue of Nature Chemical Biology.
So there you are, the entire story on Mothballs and Air Fresheners and Chemicals that cause Apoptosis. I also liked finding out that Necrosis is traumatic cell death which is not preferable over Apoptosis which is required for proper cell function. Further to that if you want a natural way of getting rid of certain annoying bugs use this :
Soak
orange peels in vinegar for two weeks in a sealed mason jar. Then pour
the vinegar into a spray bottle. Use for cleaning or bug spray. This is
great for ants!
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| A flower for a day and then its gone... Apoptosis made this possible. |
AGL and the Fracking... recently Mike Moraza head of Up Stream Gas said the chemicals are under the sink. Well with these findings about normal under your sink chemicals, Moraza's sink cupboard of chemicals are looking more dodgy each day.
Images @ Eminpee Fotography
