. He discovered "two startling abnormalities, inside and outside the brain cells."
             Tissue lying inside the cell bodies or nuclei of neurons exhibited an abnormally high number of fine nerve fibers or filaments, twisted around each other. He called these twisted fibers neurofibrillary tangles. He also saw unusually high numbers of fibrous plaques located between brain cells, composed of degenerating terminal dendrites or burned out nerve endings that surrounded fibrous amyloid protein. These abnormalties were known as senile or neuritic plaques. (Fish 63)
             Today there are many different theories of what causes Alzheimer's. Some experts believe that the intake of too much aluminum may play an important role in what causes Alzheimer's, although there is no evidence yet (Gallo 64). Others believe that there are "three genes that are somehow part of the problem" (62). Yet other scientists suspect that it could be some sort of viral defect (Mace 383). Some scientists even believe that head trauma may be the cause of this horrifying disease. Some studies showed that people who have had head injuries in the past get this disease more than people who have not had any head injuries (384). It may also be possible that Alzheimer's disease is hereditary and passed on through the genes (Frank 55). Some scientists believe that the amount of mitochondria in the cells may play an important role in what causes Alzheimer's disease. They have found that 8.3 percent of Alzheimer's patients had a "mitochondrial DNA mutation." This can possibly leave the brain cells "starved of energy," and in turn cause them to die (Travis 84).
             Alzheimer's is a terrible disease that leaves its victims confused, disoriented, and dependent on others. It is hard for the victims to even realize that they have the disease in the early stages. Relatives or close friends of the victim may not even realize what is happening because it is ...