1. Nicole S. Rivera Espinal
4Rd Seminar The tropical healing forest: the epicenter of natural medicines
by: Dr. Eloy Rodríguez, Ph.D.
Cornell University
In this seminar medicinal plants played a huge role on how they can be administered to
humans and found in tropical areas such as forests. Also, it discussed how technologies have
evolved to combat infectious diseases and how animals by instinct or learned behavior self-medicate.
On the other hand, Dr.Rodriguez introduced a problem solving challenge related to
cyclopia, which is a disease that affects fetal development caused by the medicinal plant
Veratrum californicum because of its molecular mechanism, Teratogen. Consequently, the
replication of DNA by the mRNA is stopped in the cell resulting in cyclopia. In addition, the
second case presented the relation between the liver and pancreas in order to carry digestion
using insulin. These were important facts because help on understanding that people are not
aware of how elements in different plants work and can affect certain capabilities in the immune
system (health disparities). Finally, this research provides a new perspective on treating
diseases that can potentially become worldwide disasters.