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My drawings of a healthy muscle and an atrophied muscle.
Gluing together my project
More in progress photos.
Completed project.
Muscle Disuse Atrophy: Cause and Prevention
My drawings of a healthy muscle and an atrophied muscle.
Gluing together my project
More in progress photos.
Completed project.
In her project, Mayra tells the viewer about Muscle Disuse Atrophy. She explains what it is as well as what sort of things can cause muscle atrophy. She defines muscle atrophy as the degeneration and loss of muscle mass. She adds that in order for muscles to remain healthy as in the image on the left, they must remain active and stimulated. Things from malnutrition (when the body doesn’t get enough nutrients, typically noticeable after weeks) to a neurological disease to a prolonged illness or hospital stay can cause muscle atrophy to start the breakdown of muscle tissue. Mayra also explains that extended periods of not using skeletal muscles from bed rest, paralysis, immobilization (preventing a muscle/limb from weight bearing), and microgravity (that is, gravity in space) can all cause Muscle Disuse Atrophy to kick in and cause significant muscle loss. She also mentions that muscle loss can occur at a rate as great as 5% per day. On her presentation board, Mayra shows an example of what a normal muscle looks like (on the left) and an example of what an atrophied muscle looks like (on the right).