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Title: Maria, a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey, rushed along with the rest of her Post by: barry on Feb 9, 2012 Maria, a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey, rushed along with the rest of her fire company to lower Manhattan on that awful morning of September 11, 2001. As they crossed over the Hudson into the city, they heard that the towers had collapsed, so they helped search through the rubble and dust from the buildings to find survivors. Maria has now developed serious health problems based on her exposure to the rubble and dust, which included asbestos and many other small particles. Which organ system and which organelle do you think is most likely failing in this brave woman's body?
Title: Re: Maria, a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey, rushed along with the rest of her Post by: bio_man on Feb 9, 2012 Because of Maria's exposure to many airborne particles within the rubble as well as the dust that has been inhaled, it is likely that her respiratory system has been damaged. Lysosomes inside the cells cleaning the respiratory passages cannot break down asbestos. These small particles destabilize the membranes of the lysosomes, causing the release of enzymes in the respiratory tract and scarring of Maria's lung tissue.
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