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Module 2 Revised Notes Nov 2023.edited BFE
Module 2 Revised Notes Nov 2023.edited BFE
For a very long time, the human brain and CPU have been analogous to each other.
Many points describe them like each other, but minor differences exist. Some of
such points are:
1. Both work by receiving the information, processing it, and then delivering
the processed information. Both use electrical signals to receive, transmit,
and send the information. The brain is made up of a complex network of
neurons. These neurons communicate with each other through electrical
signals called "Action Potential." The information is received and
transmitted in the brain via action potential, whereas, in the CPU, electrical
signals work in a circuitry system. Both connect data or information to
2. Both have memory storage that stores and retrieves information as and
when needed. Computer memory consists of silicon chips whose storage
capacity can be adjusted as per the needs of the consumer. Memories in the
brain are stored in the Hippocampus. It is that part of the brain which
supports memory, learning, navigation, and perception processes.
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Memories in the brain grow by stronger synapses. Synapses are the places
where two neurons connect and communicate with each other. The
memory capacity of the human brain is approximately 2.5 petabytes, which
is equivalent to 2.5 million gigabytes- of computer memory.
3. Both can adapt and learn new things from given stimuli and responses. The
human brain can adapt and learn from stimuli such as past experiences,
whereas the CPU learns from the stimuli given in various software or
algorithms. Using algorithms such as "Deep Learning," computers can
absorb new information and reproduce it proactively.
4. Both have evolved with time. On average, the human brain weighs 1300
grams. Over time, brains have evolved. The brains of humans have evolved
in both size and sophistication. Different regions of the brain have become
specialized with distinctive structures and functions. This has resulted in
better decision-making power, movement coordination, memory and
understanding, language, and consciousness. Computers have evolved
much faster than the human brain. Computers have been around for only a
few decades, yet rapid technological advancements have made computers
faster, more compact, and more powerful.
6. Both can be damaged easily, which can hamper the working of the system
or body. In the human brain, if the neurons are damaged, it can lead to
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various neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's
disease is a brain disorder associated with unintended or uncontrollable
body movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance
and body coordination. Whereas if the circuits of the CPU are damaged,
then the whole system crashes.
2.1.1 EEG
The signals are recorded through electrodes placed on the scalp, and the resulting
EEG pattern provides information about the synchronized electrical activity of
large populations of neurons: an EEG tracks and records brain wave patterns.
Small metal discs with thin wires (electrodes) are placed on the scalp and then send
signals to a computer to record the results. Regular electrical activity in the brain
makes a recognizable pattern. Through an EEG, doctors can look for abnormal
patterns that indicate seizures and other problems.
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Figure: Representing EEG
EEGs have been used to detect problems in the electrical activity of the brain that are associated
with specific brain disorders. The measurements given by an EEG are used to confirm or rule out
various conditions, including:
➢ Seizure disorders (such as epilepsy)
➢ Head injury
➢ Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
➢ Brain tumor
➢ Encephalopathy (disease that causes brain dysfunction)
➢ Sleep disorders
➢ Stroke
➢ Dementia
➢ During coma to determine the brain activity
➢ Anesthesia and brain activity monitoring during surgery
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The following steps can describe the working of the eye:
1. Light passes through a thin layer of moisture present in the eye.
2. The light then hits the cornea, which is a transparent membrane and is the first layer
to begin focusing light within the eye. It acts just like a camera's lens.
3. The amount of light entering the eye is controlled by the iris. The function of the iris
is like a diaphragm in a camera.
4. The cornea is connected to the sclera, which is a tough fiber present outside the eye.
It acts as a protection layer.
5. Behind the cornea is another liquid layer known as the aqueous humor. It helps to
maintain pressure levels of the eye as light passes through it. It also provides nutrition
to the eye.
6. Once light has passed through the aqueous humor, it has finally reached the pupil.
The pupil is the round entryway of the colored iris. Once the pupil determines how
much light it will let inside the eye, the job passes to the lens. It is like the aperture
of a camera.
7. The lens adjusts the amount of light the pupil lets in the eye and figures out the
distance between the eye and the object.
8. Part of this process is controlled by muscles in the lens called ciliary muscles, which
expand and contract to adjust the lens to focus on the image for an accurate view.
9. As the light reaches the center of the eye, it passes through another layer of
transparent gel-like moisturizing, called the vitreous or vitreous humor.
10. Then, it reaches the final stop in the process: The Retina. The retina is situated at the
back of the eye. It is a sheet-like structure where the final image is projected. It is
like the film of a camera.
11. The retina is supported by the choroid, a rich blood vessel network that supplies the
retina with the Oxygen and nutrients required to keep the retina working.
12. The image is formed with the help of photoreceptor cells. These photoreceptor cells
are of two types: Rod and Cone cells. Cones provide clear, sharp central vision and
detect colors and fine details, whereas Rods provide peripheral or side vision. Rods
also allow the eyes to detect motion and help us see in dim light and at night.
13. Finally, this projected image is transmitted as electrical signals to the brain for
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processing by optic nerves. It is like the USB or HDMI cable, which connects the
camera with the computer.
Eye injury, glaucoma, eye tumors, infection inside an eye, or age-related defects
often lead to loss of vision or improper vision. Not all such defects are amenable
to surgical correction. In such cases, a prosthetic eye can prove beneficial. A
prosthetic eye is an electrical implant surgically implanted in the eye socket of
patients whose eyes have been removed. It improves light sensitivity and creates a
sense of vision for people with advanced vision loss. Most devices being developed
are for individuals with retinal degeneration caused by diseases like retinitis
pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As presently
conceived, visual prosthetic devices have been designed for individuals with
profound vision loss and who have had normal visual development (as opposed to
congenital causes of blindness).
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Figure: Photo of a bionic eye
The device typically consists of a camera, a processor, and an electrode array
attached to the retina. The camera captures images and sends signals to the
processor, which then transmits electrical stimulation to the electrodes in the retina
to stimulate the remaining healthy cells and restore vision. The restored vision
could be better, but it can help people with vision loss to performdaily tasks more
efficiently and safely.
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2.3 Heart as a Pump System:
The human heart works like a pump, sending blood around the body to keep
it alive. It is a muscular organ, about the size of a fist, placed in the middle
of the chest and tilted slightly to the left. Each day, the heart beats around
1,00,000 times. This continuously pumps about five liters of blood around
the body through a network of blood vessels called the circulatory system.
This blood delivers Oxygen and nutrients to all body parts to help the organs
and muscles work correctly and carries away unwanted carbon dioxide and
waste products. Without a sufficient supply of Oxygen, any bodily function
would fail, causing organ damage or organ death.
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The human heart is a single organ, but it acts as a double pump. The first
pump carries oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, where it unloads Carbon
dioxide and picks up Oxygen. It then delivers Oxygen-rich blood back to the
heart. The second pump delivers Oxygen-rich blood to every part of the
body. Four chambers make up the heart: 2 on the left side and two on the
right. The two small upper chambers are the atria. The two larger lower
chambers are the ventricles. These left and right sides of the heart are
separated by a wall of muscle called the septum. Between each chamber,
there are one-way valves that ensure the blood flows in the correct direction
and prevent backflow. The heart is also surrounded by the pericardium, a sac
that contains a small amount of fluid and helps to protect and lubricate the
heart as it beats.
Approximately 5.6 liters of blood circulate the body, with three cardiac
cycles completed each minute. On an average heartbeat of 60-100 beats per
minute. The volume of blood ejected with each beat is the stroke
volume, which is approximately 50-100 ml, and the sum of the stroke
volumes ejected in one minute is the cardiac output, which is 3-5L/minute.
The flow of blood through the heart's chambers is due to the contraction and
expansion of cardiac muscles. For regular pumping, the heart needs electrical
signals, which are sent to these muscles, guiding them when to contract and
relax. If the electrical signals within the heart are interrupted, the heart can
beat:
➢ too quickly (tachycardia)
➢ too slowly (bradycardia)
➢ in an irregular way (arrhythmia)
These electrical signals are recorded by an Electrocardiogram (ECG), one of
the simplest and fastest tests used to evaluate the functioning of the heart. An
ECG records these impulses to show how fast the heart is beating, the rhythm
of the heart beats (steady or irregular), and the strength and timing of the
electrical impulses as they move through the different parts of the heart. The
ECG represents a graphic recording of the electrical cardiac activity traced
on the electrocardiograph paper.
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Figure: ECG waves and their relation to heart nodes
Pace Makers
A pacemaker is a small electrical battery-operated device used to treat
arrhythmias. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, slow, or irregularly.
Pacemakers send electrical pulses to the heart, which helps to generate a heartbeat
at an average rate and rhythm. Pacemakers can also help heart chambers beat in
sync so the heart can pump blood more efficiently to the body.
Traditional pacemakers send the electrical pulses through wires, also known as
leads. A traditional pacemaker generator/ battery is placed outside the heart, either
in the chest or abdomen. It is connected via wires to electrodes inside one to three
heart chambers. Traditional pacemakers have three main parts:
1. A pulse generator which creates the electrical pulses.
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2. Wires (called leads) are implanted inside the veins and carry the pulses to
your heart.
3. Electrodes sense the natural heartbeat. When the heartbeat is slower than
normal, the electrodes deliver electrical impulses to the heart to make it
beat normally.
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Wireless pacemakers are a newer kind of pacemaker without wires. Such
pacemakers are smaller than traditional types (about the size of a large pill
capsule). The pulse generator and electrodes are all packed in one device that is
placed inside a chamber of the heart through a small tube inserted in one of the
veins. No surgery is needed to place it. Once in place, the pacemaker then sends
pulses to the right ventricle.
Artificial Heart
Heart-Lung Machine
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Mechanical hearts
Mechanical hearts, which include total artificial hearts and ventricular assist
devices (VADs), are machines that can replace or assist the pumping action of the heart
for prolonged periods. Implantation of a total artificial heart requires the removal of both
patient's ventricles (lower chambers). However, using a VAD to support either the right
or the left ventricle, the entire heart remains in the body. Mechanical hearts are implanted
only after maximal medical management has failed. They may be used for cardiac
resuscitation after cardiac arrest, for recovery from cardiogenic shock after heart surgery,
and in some patients with chronic heart failure who are waiting for a heart transplant.
Occasionally, mechanical hearts have been used as permanent support in patients who do
not qualify for a heart transplant or as a bridge to recovery of the patient's own diseased
heart. The goal is to provide a safe, effective system that allows the recipient to move
about freely, thus improving the quality of life.
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3.1 Lungs as Purification System:
The respiratory system, in close conjunction with the circulatory system, is responsible for supplying
all body cells with essential Oxygen and removing potentially harmful carbon dioxide from the body.
Through breathing, inhalation, and exhalation, the respiratory system facilitates the exchange of
gases between the air and the blood and between the blood and the body’s cells. Changes in the
volume and air pressure in the lungs drive ventilation. The process of respiration can be summarized
as:
1. Air is inhaled through the nasal and oral cavities (the nose and mouth).
2. It moves through the pharynx, larynx, and trachea into the lungs.
3. During normal inhalation, the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles contract, and the
ribcage elevates.
4. As the volume of the lungs increases, air pressure drops, and air rushes in.
5. Inside the lungs, Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide waste through external respiration.
This respiratory process occurs through hundreds of millions of microscopic sacs called
alveoli.
6. Oxygen from inhaled air diffuses from the alveoli into the pulmonary capillaries surrounding
them.
7. It binds to hemoglobin molecules in red blood cells and is pumped through the bloodstream.
8. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide from deoxygenated blood diffuses from the capillaries into the
alveoli and is exhaled.
9. During exhalation, the muscles relax, the lungs become smaller, and the air pressure rises.
Thus, air is expelled.
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Ventilators
Ventilators are medical devices that assist or control breathing in individuals who cannot breathe
adequately independently. A ventilator helps to push air in and out of the lungs so the body can get
the Oxygen it needs. A person may wear a fitted mask to help get Oxygen from the ventilator into
their lungs or, if their condition is more serious, a breathing tube may be inserted down their throat
to supply their lungs with Oxygen. A person might need mechanical respiration:
1. During surgery, general anesthesia can make it difficult to breathe well enough
without support.
2. If a person has certain lung conditions or infections.
3. In a medical emergency, that blocks the airway or impairs the breathing.
4. If a person has specific brain injuries or conditions. The brain might not communicate well
enough with the rest of the body, including the lungs, to allow one to breathe correctly.
5. If a person has any conditions that cause their blood to have too much carbon dioxide
(hypercapnia) or insufficient Oxygen (hypoxemia).
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Artificial lung devices
Artificial lungs are devices designed to mimic the function of the natural respiratory system.
Artificial lung devices are membranes made of synthetic material connected to blood vessels
through tubes and cannulas of silicone. The blood passing through the device is oxygenated and
cleared of carbon dioxide. Advances in artificial lung technology include improved membranes,
pumps, and even ambulatory support systems, making it increasingly possible to support patients
successfully without waiting for a suitable donor.
Each of the kidneys comprises about a million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron
includes a filter, called the glomerulus, and a tubule. The nephrons work through a two-step process:
the glomerulus filters blood, and the tubule returns needed substances to the blood and removes
wastes. The kidneys filter about 180-200 liters of fluid daily.
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Dialysis Systems
Dialysis is a treatment that helps the body remove extra fluid and waste products from the blood
when the kidneys cannot remove it. Waste products and fluid, if not removed, can build up to
dangerous levels in the body, and if left untreated, this can cause several unpleasant symptoms and
eventually be fatal. People who have kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may need
dialysis. Dialysis involves diverting blood to a machine so that it can be cleaned. There are two
main types of dialysis: Haemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis.
In hemodialysis, a dialyzer (filtering machine) is used to remove waste and extra fluid from your
blood and then return the filtered blood to your body. Before starting hemodialysis, a minor surgery
is needed to create a vascular access site (opening into one of your blood vessels), usually in your
arm. This access site is essential for an easy way to get blood from the body through the dialyzer
and back into the body. Treatments usually last about four hours and are done three times per week.
Some people may need more time for treatments based on their specific needs.
In peritoneal dialysis, blood is filtered inside one’s body instead of using a dialyzer machine. For this
type of dialysis, the lining of the patient's abdomen (also called the peritoneum) is used as a filter.
Before starting peritoneal dialysis, a minor surgery is needed to place a catheter (soft tube) in the
abdomen. During each treatment, the abdomen is slowly filled with dialysate (a cleansing fluid made
from a mixture of water, salt, and other additives) through the catheter. As blood flows naturally
through the area, extra fluid and waste products are pulled out of the blood vessels and into the
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abdomen area by the dialysate (almost like a magnet). After a few hours, the fluid mixture is drained
from the abdomen using the same catheter and bag used at the beginning of the treatment.
There are currently two main approaches to developing an artificial kidney: a biological approach
and a technological approach. The biological approach involves using living cells, such as kidney
or stem cells, to create a functional, implantable artificial kidney. In comparison, the technological
approach involves using synthetic materials, such as silicon or polymer, to create a dialysis device
that can filter the blood and remove waste and excess fluids.
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While much progress has been made in developing an artificial kidney, it is still in the experimental
stage and is not yet widely available. Further research and development are needed to improve the
efficiency and safety of artificial kidney devices and to ensure they can be widely adopted as a
treatment for chronic kidney disease.
One example of using muscular systems as scaffolds is treating damagedor diseased heart tissue.
Researchers have developed methods for using muscle cells to create a functional, three-
dimensional scaffold that can support the growth of new heart tissue. In this approach, muscle cells
are harvested from the patient and then seeded onto a scaffold, such as a hydrogel or artificial
matrix. The scaffold provides a framework for the cells to grow and differentiate into new heart
tissue, which can help to repair the damaged or diseased tissue.
Another example is in the treatment of skeletal muscle injuries, such as those caused by trauma or
disease. In this case, muscle cells can be harvested and seededonto a scaffold, which can then be
implanted into the damaged muscle to promote the growth of new, functional tissue.
While the use of muscular systems as scaffolds is still in the experimental stage, itholds great
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promise for the treatment of a variety of conditions. It represents an area of active research and
development in regenerative medicine.
3.3.1 Mechanisms
The mechanism of how the muscular system can be used as a scaffold in regenerative medicine
involves muscle cells and a scaffold to support the growth and regeneration of new tissue.
The method of growing muscle tissue using hydrogel or artificial scaffold isexplained below:
Figure: Representing the muscle tissue growth using hydrogel orartificial scaffold
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Figure: Representing the formation of polymer-based scaffold and
cell culture
The basic steps in this process are as follows:
• Harvesting of muscle cells: Muscle cells are typically obtained from the patient and then
isolated and expanded in culture.
• Seeding onto scaffold: The muscle cells are then seeded onto a scaffold, suchas a hydrogel
or artificial matrix. The scaffold provides a framework for the cells to grow and
differentiate into new tissue.
• Cell differentiation and tissue formation: Once the cells are seeded onto the scaffold, they
undergo differentiation, changing into specific celltypes, such as muscle or heart cells. The
cells also begin to organize andform new tissue, such as heart or skeletal muscle tissue.
• Implantation into the patient: The scaffold and cells are then implanted into the patient to
promote the growth of new, functional tissue.
By utilizing the decellularized muscle scaffold, tissue generation takes advantage of the existing
three-dimensional architecture and mechanical properties of the muscle. This approach can address
challenges in tissue engineering, such as creating a suitable environment for cell growth, promoting
vascularization, and facilitating functional integration of regenerated tissues.
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3.4 Skeletal Systems as Scaffolds:
Bones: The human body consists of 206 bones that vary in size and shape. Bones comprise
complex and dense connective tissue that provides strength and support. They serve as anchor
points for muscles, protect internal organs, and store minerals like calcium and phosphorus.
Cartilage: Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in certain joints and structures such as
the ears and nose. It acts as a cushion between bones, reducing friction and absorbing shock.
Ligaments: Ligaments are rugged bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones to otherbones in joints,
providing stability and preventing excessive movement.
Tendons: Tendons are muscular fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones, enablingmovement
by transmitting the force generated by muscles.
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The skeletal system works in conjunction with muscles, tendons, and ligaments to allow for
movement, protect internal organs, support the body's weight, and providea structural framework
for the body.
For example, bone tissue engineering often involves scaffolds to facilitate the repair and
regeneration of bone defects or injuries. Synthetic or natural biomaterial scaffolds, designed to
mimic the properties of bone, can fill the void left by a bone defect. The scaffold provides a three-
dimensional structure that supports the attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of cells
involved in bone regeneration. Over time, the scaffold can be replaced by newly formed bone
tissue, resulting in the restoration of bone structure and function.
In addition to bone tissue engineering, the skeletal system has also been explored asa scaffold for
other tissues. For instance, researchers have investigated usingdecellularized bone or cartilage
scaffolds as templates for regenerating othertissues like muscle, blood vessels, or nerves. The
existing extracellular matrix and structure of the skeletal system can provide a framework for cells
to populate and guide tissue growth.
However, it is essential to note that using the skeletal system as a scaffold for tissuegrowth requires
careful consideration and modification to match the specific requirements of the target tissue.
Additional steps, such as surface modifications, incorporation of bioactive molecules, or cell
seeding, may be necessary to optimize the scaffold's effectiveness for promoting tissue
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regeneration.
Though the skeletal system has potential as a scaffold for tissue growth, successfulapplication
requires further research, customization, and integration with tissue engineering strategies specific
to the desired tissue type.
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