Parkinson's Disease

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A characteristic of all living things would be that they are highly organized. Human beings are considered one of the most complex creatures. The human body is made up of large amounts of genes, proteins and other cellular structures. Cells receive signals which are like instructions to act on the changes within their immediate environment. Cells need the ability to interpret signals that have been received. When cells perform differently from their normal function and causes disorder, it is known as cellular disease. Mutation of the DNA cells, increased number of cells, problems in present cells, or loss of vital cells are all components of cellular disease.
Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common cellular diseases amongst others. The …show more content…
As time progresses the symptoms become gradually worse and studies have shown that by the time primary symptoms appear, individuals with Parkinson's disease will have lost 60 to 80 percent or more of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain (Sietske N. Heyn, 2012). The main symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremors, rigid muscle, slower movement, and postural instability. The most common indication of this disease is tremors. A tremor is best described as an involuntary form of shaking, and is most noticed in your hands and arms, but may occasionally occur in the feet or torso. They can occur anywhere within the body. Tremors usually begin in one arm or leg and occur on only half of the body. Muscle aches and pains result from stiffness in the limbs which is caused by rigid …show more content…
The disease was given the name “shaky palsy” by a physician named Galen in 175 AD. However, it was not until 1817 that a detailed medical essay was published on the subject by London doctor James Parkinson (ParkinsonsDisease.org, 2009). The essay was formed to arouse the peers of Dr. Parkinson’s to participate in further research on the subject. Jean Martin Charcot (neurologist) furthered the research Dr. Parkinson’s started. The disease was later named after him more than six decades after the publication of the essay. Her studies paved the way to the discovery of a chemical change in the brains of people ill of Parkinson's. The detection of inadequate amounts of dopamine being formed lead to the first functioning medical treatment for the disease. In the 1960s the drug Levodopa was first administered to treat the symptoms. (ParkinsonsDisease.org,
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