Brain eating amoeba (naegleria fowleri)

Naegleria Fowleri

1. Naegleria Fowleri: The Brain-Eating Amoeba Neurobiology’s Worse Nightmare

2. So what is Naegleria Fowleri?

3. Naegleria Fowleri is: A parasite Typically found in fresh water sources A rare infection Cause of Primary A mebic M eningoencephalitis But if infected, almost always results in death !

4. What parts of the nervous system does it involve? Central nervous system The processing center that sends, receives, and interprets information from all parts of the body   Olfactory nerve (CN1) Relays sensory information about smell to the brain Olfactory bulbs Structure that receives and processes the neural input about odours that is detected by nasal cavity cells Brain cells Aka nerve cells Receive and relay information to other nerve cells

5. What happens during an infection of N. Fowleri ? It attacks the central nervous system (via nose) Attaches to olfactory nerve and heads to olfactory bulbs to feed on nerve tissue  necrosis & hemorrhaging Travels further via nerve fibres to cranium floor and into brain Consumes brain cells

6. Brain = Life This example of N. Fowleri d emonstrates how necessary the brain is to life Without the building blocks of the nervous system (i.e. neurons), the nervous system cannot function Without the nervous system, we cannot live.

7. Concluding Remarks on the Course Through this course, I am now able to better analyze neurobiological events It has first and foremost, provided me with the knowledge necessary to understand the parts of the nervous system, their functions and underlying mechanisms and the impacts of their malfunction. In the case of N. Fowleri , knowledge of how the nerve cells operate, allows me to understand that if they are impaired, there is a loss of communication between core body organs and this can lead to a poor functioning body or even death By providing everyday examples throughout the lectures, I have seen that the brain really is at the core of every activity I engage in. Without a functioning brain, breathing patterns would not be accurate, initiation of movement would not occur, and body temperature would not be regulated. All of these things that I take for granted would not be functioning if it weren’t for the brain. Lastly, application of the knowledge gained through the weekly quizzes have provided me with a firm understanding of the brain’s functions. Without having discussed N. Fowleri or olfaction in the course, I am able to understand the basic mechanism through which this microorganism operates, as it pertains to the nervous system. Given the knowledge that neurons do not regenerate, it is clear to me that if an individual were infected with N. Fowleri , that he or she would likely die since this microorganism kills brain cells which are necessary for life.

8. Acknowledgements Thanks to Dr. Peggy Mason and the staff at Coursera ! References: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri http://fox4kc.com/2014/07/11/brain-eating-amoeba-kills-johnson-county-resident / http://tribune.com.pk/story/733683/brain-eating-amoeba-kills-two-in-karachi / https:// www.coursera.org/course/neurobio Images/Photos from Google Images