Biology and biomedicine · Paper · May 2021
The Effect of Different Amounts of Potassium Iodide on Asthma in Drosophila Melanogaster
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 13 people have asthma. Each day, ten Americans die from asthma (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America 2018). A previous project that was conducted last year looked at the correlation between zinc deficiency and asthma and yielded positive results meaning that a correlation between additional zinc intake and a better control of asthma could be seen. This project observed whether there is a correlation between iodine deficiency and asthma since iodine has previously been used to treat inflammatory diseases since it has properties that can stabilize thyroid hormone levels as well as reduce bronchial secretions and mediate immune cell responses (Lake 2017). In order to supply the iodine, potassium iodide was used since iodine is more easily absorbed by the body when it is in the form of potassium iodide. A combination treatment of potassium iodide and zinc was also given.