Sophia Sulimirski
Mr. Ippolito
Biology D-Odd
17 October 2016
@NewsfromScience. “Two Weeks in the Mountains Can Change Your Blood for Months.” Science, 14 Oct. 2016, http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/10/two-weeks-mountains-can-change-your-blood-months
In the article, “Two Weeks in the Mountains Can Change Your Blood for Months”, the authors discuss the effects of high altitude on the human body. Scientists have known for a very long time that when in low-oxygen conditions, new red-blood cells are created to account for this. It was always believed that it took weeks for new blood cells to be created. However, a new study conducted has shown that “the body begins adapting to elevation as soon as overnight”. In the study, volunteers spent two weeks on a mountain, training to climb a 3.2 kilometre hill. Comparing the first day to the second, there was a significant difference in how the volunteers were able to handle the altitude, and by the end they were able to climb up the hill. They then left for two weeks, and when they returned, their body’s adaption was still noticeable, as they were still able to climb the hill. The participants hemoglobin, oxygen carrying proteins, had changed the way they hung onto the oxygen load during their time in the hills. These changes last as long as red blood cells do, which is about 120 days.
Low-oxygen studies have occurred for years, however this new study provides new insight into how humans can adapt to altitudes. Furthermore, low-oxygen is a significant problem in traumas such as car accidents. Angelo D’Alessandro, a biochemist, states that “Finding ways to kick the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity into high gear in such an emergency could save lives in both the civilian sector and on the battlefield”. In addition, understanding how humans adapt in low-oxygen situations could help make improved preparations for astronauts journeying into space, and even simply help tourists with altitude sickness.
This article is very good in the sense that is clearly describes the new study about high altitude adaptation, using simple yet detailed terms to allow every kind of reader to fully understand the subject. However, the way it was organized was slightly confusing. The article begins by discussing the study and what the volunteers had to do, then skips to how the body adjusts to high altitude, then goes back to describing the study itself again. If the order of the paragraphs within the article were changed slightly, it would make the topic and what the authors were trying to prove a lot easier to follow.
ReplyDeleteSophia Sulimirski wrote an exceptional review of an article about new discoveries in the field of blood work and biology involving the effects altitude has on the body. Within the article “Two weeks in the mountains can change your blood for months”, author Richard A. Lovett discusses a new discovery based on a study of volunteers who went to a camp located to the top of Mount Chacaltaya. A student and freshman at the University of Oregon and competitive 1500-meter runner Lauren Earthman was one of the volunteers who noticed that after only one night, they felt better as their bodies adjusted to the lack of plentiful oxygen their bodies were used to accumulating. After a 1 to 2 week break from the altitude, the campers returned and found that they adjusted rather quickly than before. This experiment provided new information, insight, and views into “altitude adaptation” (Peter Ratcliffe). One strength I felt Sophia possessed in her review about this article was her ability to analyze and summarize the article at the same time. She included crucial information about the experiment, and indirectly explained what that data meant in terms of the conclusion of the experiment. A well written summary helps the reader grasp onto the main focus and meaning of the passage without being too confused. Another part favorable about Sophia’s review was her critique on the format of the article. She managed to point out a specific issue concerning the way the document was written based on her ability of comprehending what the author was focusing on, and that skill may be hard for others to acquire. Her explanation: “The article begins by discussing the study and what the volunteers had to do, then skips to how the body adjusts to high altitude, then goes back to describing the study itself again” (Sophia Sulimirski). Sophia was able to explain what she felt was wrong about the article in a well written, and comprehensible sentence, and then went on to continue on a solution to this issue, showing her knowledge and capability in writing. Lastly, Sophia used simple, yet impressive vocabulary that accurately described the experiment. She also defined term someone might not understand, an example being, “The participants hemoglobin, oxygen carrying proteins,”(Sophia Sulimirski). This allows for the reader to moderately understand what she is talking about without having to go back into the article or a dictionary to find out what the terms mean.
Sophia did an outstanding job, however she was lacking in a few areas. One problem fixable was her small positive critique area. She only expressed one and said it in one sentence, “This article is very good in the sense that is clearly describes the new study about high altitude adaptation, using simple yet detailed terms to allow every kind of reader to fully understand the subject”(Sophia Sulimirski). Her sentence was full in detail and was easy to read, but I feel as if it would have been better off by explaining the information she talked about further, possibly using quotes. Another fault I noticed was small repetition of the word “however”, which is something easily fixed. I found it slightly distracting, but it did not get in the way of the reader understanding the main focus. A solution to this would be to use words similar to “however.”
From this review and article, I learned about altitude changes on the body. My family, including my dad and I, skis in the winter, sometimes at high elevations. While reading the article, I tried to remember how I felt when I skied above 11,000 feet in altitude or any other high altitude experience. My mother has the tendency to be affected by altitude sickness, but my father and I are not. This may be due to the sudden exposure I had as a kid to high elevation skiing, and how my body became used to skiing and working out in higher altitudes. I have been given a whole new understanding of the body adjusts to altitude and it is something I can use in conversation with my father or other skiers.
Citations of Article:
ReplyDelete@NewsfromScience. "Two Weeks in the Mountains Can Change Your Blood for Months." Science. N.p., 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. .
Citation for Review:
Sulimirski, Sophia. Rev. of Two Weeks in the Mountains Can Change Your Blood for Two Months. Two Weeks in the Mountains Can Change Your Blood for Two Months 13 Oct. 16: n. pag. Print.