Should the Legal Drinking Age be Changed to 18

Should the Legal Drinking Age be Changed to 18 One of the hottest topics of debate in today’s world is the legal drinking age. The reason why this topic is much debated nowadays is because of the fact that many people are of the opinion that a person is grown up at the age of 18 and has a clear understanding of what is wrong or right at this age. Most people in the United States, do not regard the legal drinking age as the right one, in other words, they do not agree with it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should the Legal Drinking Age be Changed to 18? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many citizens strongly argue that the legal age to buy, possess or purchase alcohol drinks should be 18 years rather than 21. Taking into consideration that the American citizens are allowed to vote at the age of 18 years, this seems to be quite a valid point of argument, however, drinking age is not changed to 18 years as teenagers are considered not to be capable of getti ng over alcohol at such tender age. The current age limit is the correct age as a person is matured enough at the age of 21 and knows his/ her social responsibility.   Lowering the age to 18 years old would only bring about chaos in the life of a teenager as it is the age when they are careless and reckless. â€Å"The teenage brain is not just an adult brain with fewer miles on it,† says Frances E. Jensen, a professor of neurology. â€Å"It’s a paradoxical time of development. These are people with very sharp brains, but they’re not quite sure what to do with them† (Ruder par. 2). Legal drinking age should not be changed to 18 as teenagers still do not understand their mental hardwiring, thus it would only lead to much chaos in their lives which will result in more drinking problems as teenagers are more subjected to some of alcohols effects than the adults are. Teenagers neither understand nor have a complete control of their life. â€Å"Teen brains, for example, are more susceptible than their adult counterparts to alcohol-induced toxicity. Jensen highlights an experiment in which rat brain cells were exposed to alcohol, which blocks certain synaptic activity. When the alcohol was washed out, the adult cells recovered while the adolescent cells remained â€Å"disabled.†Ã¢â‚¬  (Ruder par. 9). Teenagers are more prone to addiction than adults and if they are given the license to drink it would only result in numerous teenagers becoming alcoholics. Their brains are still not developed and they are more vulnerable to bad influences from the outside. Many people are of the opinion that lowering the age is desirable as we are just suppressing the young people and it makes alcohol more desirable for them as they are not allowed to drink it by the law.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the contrary, lowering the age would not in any way be beneficial for them as it would rather increase their ability to obtain alcohol freely which in turn would produce countless teenage alcoholics. â€Å"The adolescent brain is still undergoing several maturational processes that render it more vulnerable to some of the effects of substances† (Tapert par. 4). Teenagers are not in a position to make right judgments. Human and animal studies, as Jensen and Urion note, have shown that the brain grows and changes continually in young people- and that it is only about 80 percent developed in adolescents† (Ruder par. 5). Therefore, the legal age of drinking should be not lowered as it is irresponsible as well as immoral to hand over alcohol to teenagers who are mentally unstable at their age. Lowering the drinking age would only lead to chaos in teenagers’ lives which would also result in more drinking problems. â€Å"Adolescence is a time of transition, physically, socially, and emotionally. The adolescent brain is in transition as well (Giedd et al. par. 2). Despite the fact that all vital functional and structural changes happen in the brain all through the childhood to adulthood, it is during the adolescent period that such changes mostly occur. (Alcohol and Adolescent Brain Development par. 2). Teenagers are easily influenced; they are not in that stage of life when judgments are correct and their acts are conscious. If the age is lowered, many teenagers would be trapped as they are more prone to addiction to alcohol than adults. It would, in its turn, impact the choices the teens make, which would often be wrong that will negatively influence their whole lives. Teenage years is the period when it is impossible to have a complete control of things as the brain formation has not been completed yet. If teenagers are addicted to something, it becomes very difficult for them to give up bad habits. â€Å"During adolescence, the brain undergoes a major remodeling involv ing the formation of new connections between nerve cells, as well as the pruning of existing synaptic connections. These changes affect the processes involved in planning and decision making, impulse control, voluntary movement, memory, and speech production, among others† (Rubia et al. par. 3). Therefore, it is not right to treat teenagers as adults and give them the responsibilities those of adults.   It would also be highly irresponsible to give them the freedom to drink as 18 is not the right age to make mature decisions in life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should the Legal Drinking Age be Changed to 18? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More â€Å"Research also suggests that adolescents are less sensitive than adults to some of alcohols effects. For example, adolescent rats, on their first exposure to alcohol, are less susceptible than adult rats to alcohols sedative effects, as well as its effects on ba lance and motor coordination† (Little et al. White et al.). Teenager’s brain is not fully developed which makes it more vulnerable to alcohol-induced toxicity than an adults brain. They should be protected from making the wrong choices in life so basically alcohol is definitely not the right thing to do. From the above discussion it is clear and evident that the legal drinking age should not be changed to 18. The legal drinking age should not be lowered as teenagers of 18 still do not understand their necessities; it would only lead to bigger chaos in their lives resulting in more drinking problems since teenagers are less stable and resistant to some of the alcohols effects. Alcohol and Adolescent Brain Development. 2008. AddictionInfo.org. 2008. Web. Ruder, Debra Bradley. The Teen Brain. Harvard Magazine. 2008. Web. Tapert Trudeau, Michelle. Teen Drinking May Cause Irreversible Brain Damage. NPR. 2007. Web.

Ten Facts About Cells and Cell Function

Ten Facts About Cells and Cell Function Cells are the fundamental units of life. Whether they be unicellular or multicellular life forms, all living organisms are composed of and depend on cells to function normally. Scientists estimate that our bodies contain anywhere from 75 to 100 trillion cells. In addition, there are hundreds of different types of cells in the body. Cells do everything from providing structure and stability to providing energy and a means of reproduction for an organism. The following 10 facts about cells will provide you with well known and perhaps little known tidbits of information about cells. Cells are too Small to be Seen Without Magnification Cells range in size from 1 to 100 micrometers. The study of cells, also called cell biology, would not have been possible without the invention of the microscope. With the advance microscopes of today, such as the Scanning Electron Microscope and Transmission Electron Microscope, cell biologists are able to obtain detailed images of the smallest of cell structures. Primary Types of Cells Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are the two main types of cells. Eukaryotic cells are called so because they have a true nucleus that is enclosed within a membrane. Animals, plants, fungi, and protists are examples of organisms that contain eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic organisms include bacteria and archaeans. The prokaryotic cell nucleus is not enclosed within a membrane. Prokaryotic Single-Celled Organisms were the Earliest and Most Primitive Forms of Life on Earth Prokaryotes can live in environments that would be deadly to most other organisms. These extremophiles are able to live and thrive in various extreme habitats. Archaeans for example, live in areas such as hydrothermal vents, hot springs, swamps, wetlands, and even animal intestines. There are More Bacterial Cells in the Body than Human Cells Scientists have estimated that about 95% of all the cells in the body are bacteria. The vast majority of these microbes can be found within the digetive tract. Billions of bacteria also live on the skin. Cells Contain Genetic Material Cells contain DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid), the genetic information necessary for directing cellular activities. DNA and RNA are molecules known as nucleic acids. In prokaryotic cells, the single bacterial DNA molecule is not separated from the rest of the cell but coiled up in a region of the cytoplasm called the nucleoid region. In eukaryotic cells, DNA molecules are located within the cells nucleus. DNA and proteins are the major components of chromosomes. Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes (for a total of 46). There are 22 pairs of autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) and one pair of sex chromosomes. The X and Y sex chromosomes determine sex. Organelles Which Carry Out Specific Functions Organelles have a wide range of responsibilities within a cell that include everything from providing energy to producing hormones and enzymes. Eukaryotic cells contain several types of organelles, while prokaryotic cells contain a few organelles (ribosomes) and none that are bound by a membrane. There are also differences between the kinds of organelles found within different eukaryotic cell types. Plant cells for example, contain structures such as a cell wall and chloroplasts that are not found in animal cells. Other examples of organelles include: Nucleus - controls cell growth and reproduction.Mitochondria - provide energy for the cell.Endoplasmic Reticulum - synthesizes carbohydrates and lipids.Golgi Complex - manufactures, stores, and ships certain cellular products.Ribosomes - involved in protein synthesis.Lysosomes - digest cellular macromolecules. Reproduce Through Different Methods Most prokaryotic cells replicate by a process called binary fission. This is a type of cloning process in which two identical cells are derived from a single cell. Eukaryotic organisms are also capable of reproducing asexually through mitosis. In addition, some eukaryotes are capable of sexual reproduction. This involves the fusion of sex cells or gametes. Gametes are produced by a process called meiosis. Groups of Similar Cells Form Tissues Tissues are groups of cells with both a shared structure and function. Cells that make up animal tissues are sometimes woven together with extracellular fibers and are occasionally held together by a sticky substance that coats the cells. Different types of tissues can also be arranged together to form organs. Groups of organs can in turn form organ systems. Varying Life Spans Cells within the human body have different life spans based on the type and function of the cell. They can live anywhere from a few days to a year. Certain cells of the digestive tract live for only a few days, while some immune system cells can live for up to six weeks. Pancreatic cells can live for as long as a year. Cells Commit Suicide When a cell becomes damaged or undergoes some type of infection, it will self destruct by a process called apoptosis. Apoptosis works to ensure proper development and to keep the bodys natural process of mitosis in check. A cells inability to undergo apoptosis can result in the development of cancer.