The Cost of Medicine

In the article, "The Cost of Medicine" it talks about a new type of medication for Prostate Cancer that costs approximately $93,000. This medication does not cure cancer, however it is a "one-time deal" drug that can add up to either a few months or a few years on to a man's life. At the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, doctors plan a modified lottery to decide which of its 150 or so eligible patients will be among the two a month it can treat with Provenge (NBC 2010). This is an outrage, doctors are basically telling people who is going to live and get treatment and who is going to die sooner. I do not support this provision of medication to only those who can afford it. I think the same provision of medication should be provided to everyone. We do run our healthcare system by male or female, caucasian or African American; therefor it should not be according to lower class, middle class, or upper class. Obviously nothing is free in this world but Insurances should be provided to those who struggle to afford medical care. We cannot all be millionaires, and most of us need help paying for medical treatments that are necesities.If my insurance denied me payment of a drug I needed I would have to make a decision: go in debt to pay for what I really need and suffer in other areas where I need money, or suffer with the pain and not buy the drug. Either way it is unfair. Healthcare Insurance should be provided to all individuals, no matter what.

Marchione, M. (2010). $93,000 cancer drug renews debate on price of life. Retrieved September 30, 2010 from MSNBC, Cancer on MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/​id/​39329909/​ns/​health-cancer/.

Chapter 2 Outline

II. Chemistry Comes Alive

1)   Basic Chemistry

a)    Matter and Energy

i)     Matter – anything that occupies space and has mass (weight)

ii)    Energy – the ability to do work

·         Various Forms:

(a)  Chemical (food)

(b) Electrical (light)

(c)  Mechanical (ei. Wind-up flashlights)

(d) Radiant (sun)

(e)  Others…

b)   Composition of Matter: Atoms and Elements

i)     Basic Terms

·         Elements – fundamental units of matter

(a)  96% of the body is made from the four elements:

o   Carbon (C)

o   Oxygen (O)

o    Hydrogen (H)

o    Nitrogen (N)

·         Atoms – building blocks of elements

·         Atomic symbols

ii)    Atomic structure (See Figs. 2.1& 2.2)

·         Nucleus

(a)  Inside

o   Protons (p+) – positive charge

o   Neutrons (n) – neutral charge

(b) Outside

o   Electrons (e-) – negative charge

·         Isotopes

iii)  Major elements of the human body (See Table 2.1)

iv)   Identification of elements

·         Atomic number – the number of protons

·         Mass number – sum of protons and neutrons

·         Atomic weight – reflects the different isotopes

·         Isotopes – have the same number of protons, vary in the number of neutrons

·         Radioactivity – process of spontaneous atomic decay

(a)  Radioisotope:

o   Heavy isotope

o   Tends to be unstable

o   Decomposes to more stable isotope

c)    Molecules and Mixtures

i)     Molecules – two or more like atoms combined chemically

ii)    Compounds – two or more different atoms combined chemically

iii)  Mixtures

d)   Chemical bonds – atoms are united by these

i)     Atoms dissociate from other atoms when chemical bonds are broken

ii)    The role of electrons in chemical bonding

·         Electron shells – energy levels occupied by electrons, elections closest to the nucleus are most strongly attracted

(a)  Each shell has distinct properties:

o   The number of electrons has an upper limit

o   Shells closest to the nucleus fill first

·         Energy levels

·         Bonding involves interactions between electrons in the outer (valence shell)

·         Filling of electron shells

(a)  Valence shell – if full, do not form bonds

(b) Rule of eight = rule of octet

·         Inert elements (See Fig. 2.5a)

(a)  Atoms are stable (inert elements) when the outer most shell (valence shell) is complete

(b) How to fill the atom’s shells:

Shell 1 can hold a max of 2 electrons

Shell 2 can hold a max of 8 electrons

Shell 3 can hold a max of 18

·         Active elements

(a)  Valence shells are not full and are unstable

(b) Tend to gain, lose, or share electrons

o   Allow for bond formation, which produces stable valence

iii)  Types of chemical bonds

·         Ionic bonds (See Figure 2.6) – forms when electrons are completely transferred from one atom to another

(a)  Transfer of electrons

(b) Ions – charged particles

o   Anions are negative

o   Cations are positive

o   Either donate or accept electrons

·         Covalent bonds (See Fig. 2.7)

(a)  Atoms become stable through shared electrons

(b) Single covalent bonds share one pair of electrons

(c)  Double covalent bonds share two pairs of electrons

(d) Covalently bonded molecules:

o   Some are non-polar

§  Electrically neutral as a molecule

o   Some are polar

(e)  Have a positive and negative side

·         Hydrogen bonds:

(a)  Weak chemical bonds

(b) Hydrogen is attracted to the negative portion of polar molecule

(c)  Provides attraction between molecules, like a magnetic force

iv)   Types

·         Synthesis or anabolic reactions (endergonic)

(a)  A + B àAB

(b) Atoms or molecules combine

(c)  Energy is absorbed for bond formation

·         Decomposition or catabolic reactions (exergonic)

(a)  AB àA + B

(b) Molecule is broken down

(c)  Chemical energy is released

·         Exchange or displacement reactions

(a)  AB + C à AC + B

(b) Involves both synthesis and decomposition reactions

(c)  Switch is made between molecule parts and different molecules are made

v)    Reversibility of chemical reactions

vi)   Rate of chemical reactions

(1) Temperature

(2) Particle Size

(3) Concentration

(4) Catalysts/Enzymes

2)   Biochemistry – essentials for life

a)    Organic compounds

i)     Contains carbon

ii)    Most are covalently bonded

iii)  Example: C6H12O6 (glucose)

b)   Inorganic compounds

i)     Lack carbon

ii)    Tend to be simpler compounds

iii)  Example: H2O (water)

iv)   Important Inorganic Compounds

·         Water (Figure 2.8 &2.9): most abundant inorganic compound

(a)  Vital properties:

o   High heat capacity

o   Polarity/solvent properties

o   Chemical reactivity

o   Cushioning

·         Salts (See Fig. 2.12)

(a)  Vital properties:

o    easily dissociate into ions in the presence of water

o   Vital to many body functions

o   Include electrolytes which conduct electrical currents

·         Acids and bases (See Fig. 2.13)

(a)  Acids – release hydrogen ions (H+)

o   Are proton donors

(b) Bases – release hydroxyl ions (OH-)

o   Are proton acceptors

(c)  pH (Fig. 2.12)

o   Acidic – pH below 7

o   Basic – pH above 7

o   Neutral – pH is 7

o   Neutralization reaction

§  Acids and bases react to form a water and a salt

o   Buffers – chemicals that can regulate pH change

c)    Important Organic compounds

i)     Carbohydrates (See Figs. 2.13)

·         Contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

·         Includes sugars and starches

(a)  Classified according to size:

o   Monosaccharides - simple sugars

§  Body uses this to digest

o   Disaccharides – two simple sugars joined by dehydration synthesis

o   Polysaccharides – long-branching chains of linked simple sugars

ii)    Lipids (See Fig. 2.15) – fat

·         Contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

(a)  Carbon and hydrogen outnumber oxygen

·         Insoluble in water

·         Common lipids in the human body:

(a)  Neutral fats (triglycerides):

o   Found in fat deposits

o   Composed of fatty acids and glycerol

o   Source of stored energy

(b) Phospholipids

o   Form cell membranes

(c)  Steroids

o   Includes cholesterol, bile salts, vitamin D, and some hormones

iii)  Proteins (See Fig. 2.16 & 2.17)

·         Made of Amino acids

·         Contains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur

·         Accounts for over half of the body’s organic matter

·         Provides for construction materials for body tissues

·         Play a vital role in cell functions

·         Act as enzymes, hormones, and anitbodies

·         Structural levels of proteins

(a)  Primary structure

(b) Secondary structure

(c)  Tertiary structure

(d) Quaternary structure

·         Fibrous versus Globular proteins

·         Protein denaturation

·         Enzymes

(a)  Characteristics

(b) Mechanism of actions (See Fig. 2.18)

iv)   Nucleic acids (See Fig. 2.19): provide blueprint of life

·         Nucleotides – makes DNA and RNA

(a)  Nucleotide bases:

o   A = Adenine

o   G = Guadnin

o   C = Cytosine

o   T = Thymine

o   U = Uracil

(b) Sugar

o   Ribose (RNA)

o   Deoxyribose (DNA)

(c)  Phosphate group

·         Types

(a)  Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA

(b) Ribonucleic acid RNA

v)    Adenosine triphosphate ATP (See Figs. 2.20 & 2.21) = energy

·         Chemical energy used by all cells

·         Energy is released by breaking  high energy phosphate bonds

·         ATP is replenished by oxidation of food fuels