Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

Polycythemia vera

By Tom Soutar

Summary

Main Effects

System Structure

A Summary Of The Main Effects Of The Disease Including The Body System Affected:

Polycythemia vera is a rare blood disease in which your body makes to many red blood cells as a result of a disorder in the bone marrow. This disease has many effects on all of the bodies system however mainly effects the circulatory system, with a large variety of ill effects occurring in that system as a result of the disease. The main effect of Polycythemia vera is hyperviscosity (which is the thickening of the blood,) which causes many issues such as blood clotting, headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, weakness and dizziness. Eventually, when left untreated, the patient becomes extremely lethargic and tired as a result reduced oxygen reaching the bodies systems. In severe cases left untreated death may occur as a result of symptoms such as blood clotting and splenomegaly (which is the enlargement of the spleen).

The Structure Of That Body System (Including A Diagram With Labels) With An Explanation Of How The System Works In The Human Body:

Simply stated, the circulatory system is the delivery system of the body. This is because it carries Oxygen and different nutrients around the body to all the different cells through the bloodstream. The system consists of the heart and a variety of different blood vessels throughout the entire body varying in sizes from the largest vessel, the aorta, to the smallest vessels, the capillaries, which are only one cell thick. The circulatory system transports oxygen throughout the body by absorbing it through the capillaries that cover the alveoli in the lungs, and pumping it through to the pulmonary vein to the left side of the heart through the left atrium and left ventricle. From there, the oxygenated blood is pumped away through the aorta splitting into smaller arteries and travelling to all the cells in the body that require it to complete cellular respiration to create energy for the body. Additionally, the other component needed to complete cellular respiration, glucose, is also transported through the circulatory system to cells after being absorbed through villi that line the small intestine and pumped through the blood stream. After cellular respiration takes place, along with energy, the waste product carbon dioxide is produced which needs to be carried to the lungs to be exhaled. This happens through the blood containing the waste being pumped away from the cells through a series of veins and capillaries to the vena cava. From there it is pumped through the right side of the heart through the right atrium and right ventricle. Then, the deoxygenated blood is pumped through the pulmonary artery to capillaries surrounding the alveoli to be absorbed back into the lungs and exhaled.

Red Blood Cells

Blood Clotting

Magnified Villi

Lungs

Diagram

Extension

Facts

Other Useful Or Interesting Information Related To The Chosen Disease:

1. Polycythemia vera is one of a related group of blood cancers known as Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in which cells in the bone marrow that produce the blood cells do not develop and function normally.

2. Polycythemia vera begins with one or more acquired changed to the DNA of a single blood forming cell. This results in overproduction of blood cells.

3. Polycythemia vera is a chronic disease. Although it is not curable, it can usually be managed effectively for very long periods, even decades. But it may shorten life expectancy in some patients.

4. In some rarer cases of Polycythemia vera more than just red blood cells are over produced with cells such as platelets and white blood cells being overproduced as well. However, the effects caused by their overproduction are minimal compared to red blood cells as well as being less common.

Impacts

Explain The Impact - If Any - The Disease Has On The Other Two Body Systems:

Polycythemia vera effects many of the body systems including the Respiratory and the Digestive systems. It effects both of these systems in the same way; as a result of the disease, hyperviscosity (which is the thickening of the blood) occurs. This reduces blood flow meaning oxygen and different nutrients are moved around the body at a reduced rate. This then reduces the performance of both of the systems as a result of the reduced rate of cellular respiration to create energy for them. Additionally, the circulatory also effects the muscular system, the nervous system and the urinary system in similar ways as a result of the reduced rate of delivering the fuel for their cellular respiration.

Blood And It's Components

Interactions

Respiratory System

Digestive System

Explain How The Body System Interacts With The Other Two Systems:

The Circulatory System interacts lots with all of the different systems of the body. Interactions it has with the Digestive System include, moving the glucose produced by the digestive system to different cells around the body. The glucose transported to cells makes up the first half of the formula for energy creation. Interactions the system has with the respiratory system include taking the oxygen from the lungs to different cells around the body. Which then, alongside glucose, forms the second half of the formula for creating energy. As well as producing energy the process of creating it also produces the waste product carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is created is then transported through the circulatory system to the lungs to be removed from the body.

The Energy Formula

Detailed

Information

Diagnosis And Treatment

Polycythemia vera can be diagnosed in a number of ways through things such as JAK2 Mutation Testing and Bone Marrow Examinations, however is generally identified through Full Blood Counts. People suffering from Polycythemia vera are generally defined as having very high red blood cell counts which is quickly detected through Full Blood Counts which analyse all aspects of the blood. Although there is no cure for Polycythemia vera there are many treatments to reduce the symptoms effects. Treatments for this disease vary largely in effect. The success of the treatment is dependent on the patient and how progressed the disease is. Some treatments include Venesection, which is a procedure where controlled amounts of blood are removed from the blood stream (used commonly at early stages of the disease). Myelosuppressive Drugs, which are drugs that supress the formation of certain cells in the blood (in this case red blood cells,) to slowly regulate the cell levels in the blood. Plus the last of the treatments detailed here, Interferon, which is the injection of Interferon, a natural substance that is produced by the body’s immune system, that fights the disease over time (commonly used for younger patients). Along with these few treatments there are many others such as Asprin, Anagrelide hydrochloride and Radioactive phosphorus (32P) all of which fight the disease in different ways to account for as many different patients and their symptoms as possible.

Symptoms And Impacts

After the initial more harmless symptoms such as headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, itchy skin and night sweats begin a wide variety of more damaging issues begin to occur. These include things such as splenomegaly (which is the enlargement of the spleen), severe hyperviscosity (which is the thickening of the blood), swelling around the joints, continuous bleeding from the gums and blood clotting which can result in things such as heart attacks and strokes. Looking more specifically at the circulatory system, Polycythaemia vera reduces blood flow meaning that oxygen and nutrients reaches cells far slower and the removal of waste takes far longer. Additionally, the blood in some cases can become so thick that it can block the flow of the bloodstream resulting in large issues including things such as strokes and heart attacks.

Example Of Interferon Needle

Signs

Often when people are first diagnosed with Polycythemia vera there are no apparent signs of the disease that the patient is aware of. This is as a result of the mildness of the disease when it first begins taking effect. However, if the disease isn’t picked up through things such as blood tests before it becomes severe, several key symptoms become obvious early in the process that indicate the presence of the disease. Firstly, several flu like symptoms will become apparent such as headaches, fatigue and a feeling of weakness. Usually after these things occur and do not dissipate like flu symptoms usually do, sufferers visit there general practitioner and blood tests that reveal the actual issues take place. However if the patient still doesn’t go to a practitioner when these issues occur, several more symptoms begin to appear before the disease becomes severe that indicate its true form. These are blurred vision, dizziness, itchy skin and night sweats which are the final reasonably harmless symptoms that occur before the disease becomes an issue.

Spleen

Spleen Location

Watch For Warning Signs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000589.htm

http://www.leukaemia.org.au/blood-cancers/myeloproliferative-neoplasms-mpn/polycythaemia-vera

http://learn.fi.edu/learn/heart/systems/respiration.html

http://www.livescience.com/26825-human-body-system-respiration-infographic.html

http://www.rsd.edu/schools/carmichael/masters/pdf/hwsystmswrky.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072434/

http://www.livescience.com/27585-human-body-system-circulation-infographic.html

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi