Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us - Essay Example

? Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us The following research is about Bee venom. This product is largelyknown for its harmful effect. However, the following research will reveal that there is a second side. In fact, bee venom is good for us. This article reveals that bee venom is not only feared but can also do magic within human body. Bee venom is quite useful according to research. Animals and the Myriad Ways They Can Kill or Heal Us With reference to research, it is clear that there are various ways through which animals can heal as well as kill us. Bee venom is also referred to as apitoxin or bee sting venom. Scientifically, it is also known by such names as apis venenum and apitoxine among others (Stearns, 2012). As the name suggests, bee venom is a product of bees. As a matter of fact, it is the venom that makes it painful when a person is stung by bees. Nonetheless, bee venom should not be confused with honey, bee pollen or royal jelly. Basically, bee venom is a major product of the bees. These insects use it as a defense mechanism or a weapon to protect their territory. This article reveals that bee venom is not only feared but also does magic within human body. Bee venom contains some wonderful substances. In fact, it contains up to forty pharmacologically active ingredients. Some of them include mellitin, apamin, adolapin, dopamine and others. Each of these active substances has a different effect on our bodies. This means that once a bee stings a person, the pain dies after about one hour, and the venom left behind begins to do wonders. Of course, the introduction (actual insertion of the bee sting into human body) is painful and feared by almost everyone. On the other hand, bee venom can be used to combat a number of ailments including insomnia, headache, inflammation, osteoarthritis, skin problems and others. In fact, it has been said that when a person has severe headache, he or she could have a quick relief via a bee sting. This practice is normally referred to as BVT (bee venom therapy). Astonishingly, bee venom has recently been found to contain a key ingredient that destroys HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Perhaps, this is a breakthrough, especially considering that HIV/AIDS has continually killed millions of people without cure (Saini & Peterson, 1999). Bee venom has not only been shown to destroy HIV cells, but it also does so without harming other cells. This is very important in treatment of any other disease because the aim is not just to kill the bacteria but also to protect other body cells. Researchers have loaded the toxin (referred to as melittin) onto nanoparticles styled with bumpers that normal cells bounced off unaffected. According to the researchers, HIV cells are small enough and can fit between bumpers. This means that they can make contact with the surface of the nanoparticles where bee venom awaits (ScienceDaily, 2013). Consequently, melittin on these nanoparticles fuses with viral envelopes and ruptures them. Of course, this strips the virus’s shell thereby killing it. The difference between the bee venom technique and existing HIV treatment drugs is that the latter techniques attempt to slow down the virus’s ability to duplicate. It is worth noting that the virus has also evolved to evade most of these anti-HIV drugs. What is more, bee venom ingredients (in particular melittin) attack the virus’ natural structure. There is theoretically no mechanism to grow adaptive evasion responses to this. Altogether, ingredients found in bee venom are strategically placed to destroy HIV. The bee venom antiviral therapy has propositions for areas rampant with HIV. For instance, it can be used by women together with vaginal preventative gel. This prevents the initial infection. In addition, treatments could be devised for drug resistant HIV. Such treatments can be delivered intravenously, potentially clearing the blood of the virus. Let us not forget the possibility for this type of treatment being applicable for couples in which one individual is positive. The nanoparticle was developed years ago during an artificial blood test, though it was dreadful at carrying oxygen (Ergin & Zou’bi, 2004). Bee venom has, however, proved its worth now considering that it makes the nonparticles become a promising drug delivery system. Mellitin attacks membranes like those used by many viruses in an indiscriminate manner (FAO, n.d). In fact, many other viruses including Hepatitis B rely on protective envelopes in order to evade our immune system. Mellitin has been shown to teardown the double-layered membrane. The only setback in this development is the difficulty involved in collecting bee venom. Perhaps, this explains the high costs of bee venom related products. For instance, when a bee uses its sting, the venom stinger is normally left behind. Usually, it means that the bee has to die. Consequently, commercial collection of bee venom would lead to massive deaths of bees. An alternative method is used to collect bee venom for commercial purposes; it involves beekeepers using a sheet of glass embedded with electrical wires at hive entrance. The bees release some venom while retaining their stingers (Cherbuliez, 1997). The bee venom is subsequently scrapped off the glass. In conclusion, bee venom has active substances even though many of them have not been studied. The raw scientific information remains scratchy, but studies have begun investigation of the effects of bee venom. All in all, bee venom appears to have positive effects on neuron-functions of our nervous system, and various conditions can successfully be treated using this venom. Increased research may reveal additional uses of bee venom, all of which underline its wonders. The importance of bee venom can as well be observed against others diseases such as those of the nervous system. For many years, scientists have discovered the importance of bee venom, especially in the treatment of the nervous system and different heart conditions. For instance, the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) provides evidence of specific biological effects of the bee venom components Apamine in the brain (Ergin & Zou’bi, 2004). Individuals report positive effects in dementia, and there are also specific brain effects of bee venom in Alzheimer patients being elucidated. Bee venom in homeopathy, i.e. a particular type of medicine, heals a similar manifestation of a disease. Here the use of Apis is applicable where medical practitioners use stinging as a form of treatment. Thus, the burning sensation “drives out” the disease. However, people who are allergic or sensitive to bee venom should be cautious. They might react adversely to certain potencies of homeopathic Apis. There are different reactions to bee stings and bee venom allergy, but the most outstanding biological effect of bee venom is the painful inflammatory caused by the bee sting. Stings in the area of the eye are very dangerous because of the extreme pain and swelling; thus, immediate medical assistance is required (Ergin & Zou’bi, 2004). An immediate measure should be rinsing the eye with water that is cold. In the case of a sting in the tongue or the pharynx, the risks are very high. Because of the rapid swelling of the mucous membrane, there is an acute life threat of suffocation. Immediate measures include one sucking a piece of ice or drinking ice-cold water to prevent further swelling before a doctor’s assistance. It is worth noting that bee venom also has toxic effects on humans. The melittin causes higher doses that are inflammatory, and hemolytic induces inflammatory, the strongest allergen and thus the most harmful bee venom component. While the Hyaluronidae causes allergy, higher doses of it tend to be neurotoxin. MDC peptide and phospholipids A are the most toxic components. Therapeutic index: bee venom just like any other drug has it side effects. Both the therapeutic and toxic effects of the bee venom lie closely together (Ergin & Zou’bi, 2004). Thus, for general therapeutic purposes, bee venom is safer to use while for specific medicinal applications bee venom seem to be preferable, i.e. in apitherapy with bee venom. It may be used to treat arthritis; both osteoarthritis and rheumatic arthritis rheumatic arthritis being more susceptible to BVT while in diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system it may find its application in treatment of multiple sclerosis, dementia, post-stroke paralysis, polyneuritis, ganglion nerve inflammation and cerebellar ataxy. Conclusion Reflecting on the above discussion, it can be agreed that as much as venomous animals pose great risks to people, they also play a very important role in the sustainability of human being. Indeed, the venom that at times tends to be the cause of many fatal deaths in humans is at times the only option that keeps them alive. Be it that a lethal dose is dreadful, if put into better use it can, be worth investment. In other words, we can deduce that bee venom has its advantages as well as its disadvantages to humans. References Cherbuliez T. (1997). Bee Venom Therapy and Safety. Bee Informed. 3(4), 10-11. Ergin M, Zou’bi M. eds. (2004). Biotechnology and genetic engineering for development in the Islamic world. USA: The University of Michigan. FAO. (n.d). Venom. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e18.htm ScienceDaily. (2013). Nanoparticles loaded with bee venom kill HIV. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307160325.htm Stearns T. (2012). Overview of bee venom therapy. Retrieved from http://www.naturodoc.com/library/bee_venom/bee_venom_therapy_main.htm Saini S, Peterson W. (1999). Melittin activates endogenous phospholipase D during cytolysis of human monocytic leukemia cells. Toxicon 1999, 37(11), 1605-19. Read More