You Overhear Two of Your Classmates Talking About Mona, Another

question 82

Essay

You overhear two of your classmates talking about Mona, another classmate that has been diagnosed with depression. One of your classmates contends that the root of Mona's depression is biological, since her mother is also clinically depressed. However, your other classmate argues that Mona is depressed because her parents are going through a divorce. With whom do you agree? How can research inform this debate?

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Definitions:

Myelin Sheath

A fatty layer that surrounds nerve fibers, providing insulation and increasing the speed of electrical transmission along the neuron.

Receptor

A protein on the surface of a cell or inside it that binds to specific molecules, triggering a specific effect in the cell, such as a response to hormones or neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical substances that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another neuron or muscle or glandular cell.

Nissl Bodies

Structures within the cytoplasm of neurons that are made up of rough endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes, involved in protein synthesis.