General Family Health

When you start coming down with a virus during cold and flu season, it's easy to surrender and hibernate under the covers. But there is a better way. You can fight back, empower your immune...

Inside our ears are minute cells called hair cells. Some of these hair cells send an electrical impulse along the auditory nerve to the brain when they encounter sound waves. If these cells are...

Liver cancer originates in the liver, which is an organ located below the diaphragm and abdomen. Although liver cancer is fairly common worldwide, it's uncommon in the United States, according to...

Cancer occurs when abnormal cells start dividing at a rapid and uncontrolled rate. These abnormal cells start to spread and destroy healthy body tissue. This disease is the second-leading cause of...

The stomach holds food and assists with the breakdown and digestion process. Cancer in this organ---an uncommon affliction in the United States, according to the Mayo clinic---typically occurs in...

Your blood is made of two parts: blood cells and plasma. While blood cells and plasma work together, they are different.

There are three types of muscle: skeletal, or "striated," which moves the limbs; smooth, as in the hollow organs such as the kidney; and cardiac muscle. Cardiac (heart) muscle is unique because...

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells, according to the U.S. Library of Medicine. The body starts producing abnormal white blood cells rapidly, which eventually makes it...

Testicular cancer occurs in the testes, which are responsible for producing sperm and male sex hormones. Testicular cancer is rare, and typically affects men ages 15 to 34, according to the Mayo...

Colorectal cancer describes cancer that affects the colon and the last several inches of the rectum. Approximately 90 percent of people affected by colorectal cancer are age 50 or older, according...

A CBC, or complete blood count, is a commonly administered test. A doctor or nurse will draw blood, normally taken from the arm, on the inside of the elbow. Drawn blood is sent to a laboratory...

The average lean adult has 40 billion fat cells, also called adipose tissue. These cells safeguard vital organs, reserve energy, direct hormones and release chemicals that affect brain function...

A CBC test result report is comprised of a number of different items that can be reported on your blood. It's easier to read than you might think. Next to your numerical result for red and white...

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells. These blood cells are responsible for fighting infection in the body. Symptoms of leukemia may include bruising easily, unexplained...

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that affects plasma cells, which are white blood cells that reside in the bone marrow. These cells are responsible for making antibodies which aid in fighting...

When most people think of respiration, they think of breathing. This is a very basic understanding of the term. Actually, respiration refers to a living creature's exchange of gases with its...

The body eliminates water by sweating, urinating and breathing. Water in the body is replenished by drinking water or other fluids and eating foods that contain water, like fruits and vegetables....

Eosinophils are a type of leukocyte, or white blood cell. These cells account for only about 1 to 3 percent of the total number of white cells present in the blood. They play a role in the...

Barrett's esophagus is the presence of abnormal cells in the lower end of the esophagus. It is caused by frequent heartburn or acid reflux. This causes the normal esophagus cells to be replaced by...

Laminins are major proteins in the basal lamina, a layer which lines the outer surface of cells. They form an important protein foundation for cell and organ health in almost every living mammal.

There are really only a few types of stem cell research as it is still a very new form of scientific and medical research. Embryonic stem cell research is one of the most ethically charged debates...

A complete blood count (CBC) is a routine blood test that is performed by collecting a small blood sample in a lavender top tube, which has EDTA, an additive, to prevent the blood from clotting. ...

Red blood cells carry oxygen through your body via the arteries, supplying your internal organs with oxygen, to keep them functioning normally.

The skeletal system is a network of bones that serves a number of functions to help the body work properly.

The function of cytotoxic T cells, also called killer T cells or cytotoxic T lymphocytes, is to protect the body from disease and infection. They do so by killing diseased cells.

The human body's numerous systems are interdependent. That means they depend upon each other for proper functioning; each human body system must function well for the others to function. When one...

It is essential that the human heart has strong muscular layer that is able to pump blood through the heart to the lungs and body. Cardiac muscle is composed of specialized myocardial cells that...

Progesterone and Estrogen are both hormones that are secreted during the ovulation process of females. They are in a delicate balance, and when one or the other is lacking, symptoms of an excess...

The heart needs a strong muscular layer in order to pump blood forcefully through the heart to the lungs and body. Cardiac muscle or myocardium is composed of specific cells that enable the heart...

The heart needs a strong muscular layer in order to forcefully pump blood through the heart to the lungs and body. Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is composed of specific cells that enable the...

There are three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. These microscopic cells are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body, fighting infection and...

Cancer is an ever-present threat to the health of human beings. Several types, most notably skin cancer, can be caused directly by radiation from the sun and from artificial ultraviolet lamps used...

Graviola is a fruit tree. From the seeds to the leaves, graviola has been used to aid in the treatment of liver disease, heart disease and cancer. It reduces swelling and relieves joint pain....

When you think about how the cardiovascular system works with other body systems, you probably think of the respiratory system. This is because the circulatory system has a direct path through the...

Biology is the study of life occurring at many different levels. In the broadest of terms, life occurs in an ecosystem made up of all organisms living in a certain area or environment, such as on...

There are two different cells in this world: animal and plant. There are literally trillions of animal cells in the human body and each has its own function.

Though talk is heard everywhere of muscles, muscle mass and muscle damage, what are muscles really made of? The answer is muscle cells, or fibers. Now the makeup, function, type and structure of...

The human eye is equipped to function under a variety of different circumstances. A green building appears green both in the morning and also when the sun begins to set. Changes in lighting may,...

Antibodies are vital elements in the body's immune system and are secreted by the white-blood cells. Blood and other tissue fluid carry antibodies throughout the body to where they are most needed.

The spleen is a large, soft, deep-purple organ located below the diaphragm and behind the ribs on the left side of the abdomen. It is the same size and shape as a cupped hand. It is similar in...

Cells are the microscopic building blocks of the human body. They play both a functional and a structural role. Cells vary greatly in function, shape and size. Their function is closely related...

The cells, tissues and processes that make up the human body work together to maintain the health of the system. Included within this system is a supportive structure called extracellular mass....

Cells are microscopic building blocks of the human body that play a functional and a structural role. Cells vary in function, shape and size, and their function is closely related to their structure.

All living things (humans, animals and plants) have cells. But cells of animals (which include human cells) differ from plant cells. Animal cells (epithelia) and plant cells (elodea) not only have...

Cheek cells are epithelial cells that line the interior surface of our mouths. All epithelial cells share the same characteristics.

The spleen is a mysterious organ and its purpose is little understood. Historically, the spleen was thought to be the source of what was called melancholia--what we now consider depression--and...

Epithelial cells are the building blocks of epithelial tissue, which forms large sheets that cover the entire outer surface of the body and help form the skin. Squamous epithelial cells are thin...

When white blood cells are examined, they are evaluated based on the total number of WBCs in one cubic millimeter of venous blood and by the percentage of each type of cell (called leukocyte). An...

Keratinocytes are specialized cells in the epidermis that produce keratin. Keratinocytes grow almost continuously by mitosis until they reach the upper epidermal layers. In contrast, cells of the...

The parts of the integumentary system act together as a barrier in three ways: a chemical barrier, a physical barrier and a biological barrier. The parts of the integumentary system act in...