The effects of cigarette smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The effects of cigarette smoking - Essay Example The tar that sticks onto alveoli’s tender surface reduces its contact with the blood vessels. Continued tar accumulation leads to lung cancer and other problems such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The hot smoke would cause an irritation on the tracheal and nasal passage tender linings causing throat inflammation. The over 4,000 harmful chemicals resulting from tobacco combustion clog the hair-like cilia occurring at the trachea and along the nasal passage, causing the loss of cilia’s fluidity. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC (2013), one cigarette has the potential of slowing down by 20 minutes the motion of cilia. This slowing down of cilia further inhibits the passage along of mucus which eventually clogs up along the trachea. Excessive mucus clogging causes smoker’s cough as the body tries to get rid of the mucus. Finally, the carbon monoxide released from smoking cigarettes, based on its higher affinity for hemoglobin than ox ygen, attaches to the hemoglobin in red blood cells. The increased carbon monoxide amount in the blood impairs the transfer of oxygen from the blood to cells, which could distort time perception, visualization and cognitive skills. There are alternate mechanisms of transporting carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) in the blood. Explain how smoking might lead to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. On leaving the lungs, oxygen attaches to the hemoglobin occurring in red blood cells so as to be transported by blood. But according to Starr (2013), carbon monoxide, produced during cigarette smoking, has about 200 to 300 greater affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen hence greatly competes with oxygen for hemoglobin. The resultant increase in carbon monoxide concentration in the blood from the alveoli during cigarette smoking reduces blood oxygen levels. Additionally, the increased carbon monoxide levels impair oxygen from being released into the cells. The reaction of this carb on monoxide with the already minimal oxygen in the blood results in the release of carbon dioxide which consequently increases in concentration in the blood. Can smoking affect other organ systems of the body? Give specific examples and briefly explain your answer. Yes, smoking affects various organ systems of the body other than the respiratory system. By constricting blood vessels, particularly the arteries, and reducing oxygen supply in the circulatory system, cigarette smoking causes the heart to work harder in a compensatory effort. The nicotine which occurs in cigarette smoke, acting as a stimulant, increases the blood pressure and heart rate which could decrease blood flow through blood vessels. This could cause smokers to develop peripheral vascular disease. Cigarette smoking has also been associated with adverse effects on the reproductive system by CDC (2013). It leads to infertility, still births, pre-term delivery, sudden infant death syndrome and low birth weights. The carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke, which has a higher affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen, inhibits oxygen flow to the brain and could thus cause cognitive complications. Cigarette smoking also affects the digestive system by triggering a spike in stomach acids thus leading to chronic heartburn and even ulcers. The skin also gets affected by cigarette smoking. The tobacco smoke released into the environment

Critically evaluate Karl Barth's theology of religion and work Essay

Critically evaluate Karl Barth's theology of religion and work - Essay Example Barth work resulted to great effect on how the society interprets and apply Christian teachings. The unpopular and radical approach of Barthian theological thinking about work and Sabbath earned him great criticisms from the mainstream society but his work remains an important component of the current theological scholars and knowledge about Christianity faith. Barth claims that work or human labor is solely utilitarian intended to keep us alive. In this regard, he emphasizes on the importance of observing Sabbath, in order for man to resist the temptation of worshipping work at the expense of serving God (Hughes, 2007). In Barth ideology of Sabbath, the command to rest does not validate man to work for the remaining days of the week. He argues that Sabbath should take precedence of all other activities that man does for the service of God, so that He can reveal His purpose for him. Therefore, Sabbath day according to Barth (2009) gives the meaning and direction of man’s activ ities for the rest of his working days in the week. During Sabbath, man should not consider it as leisure or passive time but rather a day to join God in celebrating His Creation (Barth, 2009). Work or active life is not entirely, what God requires from man, but an activity that man does for survival (Barth, 2009). In this case, Barth argues that Jesus Christ called his disciples to abandon their work and follow him in his ministry but not join work. From his arguments, it is not necessary for man to work because it is worldly and cannot lead to salvation. I disagree with Barth’s opinion on work and Sabbath. When God was creating the universe, all Creations were made in six days and on the seventh day, He rested (Alister, 1999). In this case, God did not rest and then proceed to the work of creation. Though man’s activities do not add up to God’s creations, his actions have a profound effect on the entire universe and its inhabitants. God created man to be the m aster of the universe and its creations, and to fulfill the purpose, man must work not only for his own survival, but for the sake of other creations (Alister, 1999). In poor and underprivileged societies, rest days are liability to such people who struggle hard to afford even a single meal in a day. To such people, taking a break from work in Sabbath amounts to starvation, psychological suffering including anxiety, self-humiliation and depression. Thus, considering economic and social status of people, Barth idea of work and Sabbath is a luxury only the rich can afford. A true Sabbath should result after six days of working earnestly, without deceit or oppression, so that all people regardless of their economic status can fellowship with God and celebrate His Creation. 2. Critically evaluate an issue affecting employers or employees in relation to religious faith and practice Different religions have distinct practices that they instill on their followers and believers. These pract ices normally dictate their daily activities such as mode of dressing, nutrition, duties and responsibilities, health, ways of praying among other behaviors. Alister ( 1999) noted that strict observation of these practices determine the commitment of the believers and more importantly, their desire to attain the highest form of spiritual purity dictated by the teachings of the respective religious denomination. Many religious teachings from diverse backgrounds contain punitive measures meted on followers who fail to comply with the said practices. The punishments are normally carried out by the leaders and/or, adherents of the particular religious grouping on the errant followers (Alister, 1999).