Lips

Lips are lower or upper fleshy structure surrounding the opening of the mouth. It serves as an opening for the intake of food and also helps with the articulation of our voice. Lips have sensory nerve which could become sensitive when kissing another person in a sexual manner. The skin of the lips and its fewer melanocytes (responsible for the production of skin color pigments) is what gives our lips a thinner and contrasting color compare to the facial skin surrounding it. Therefore the blood vessels appear on the lips which gives it's red color. It is also worth mentioning that lips do not have sweat gland or sebaceous glands, therefore it gets drier faster that other areas of human body.

Nail

Nails are made of Keratin which is hard protein. It is an elastic structure at the end of a finger or a toe. Each nail is divided into three parts. The root of the nail fastens the nail to the finger or toe by fitting into the dermis of the skin. There are vascular ridges underneath the nail body and on the nail plate which lies under the nail body. The part of the nail bed that the behind the nail root is responsible for the production of new nail cells. Nails are similar to claws and hoofs as well.

Eustachian tube

The Eustachian tube is a tube that connects the nasopharynx with the middle ear cavity. The tube is normally closed but opens when a person is yawning, chewing or swallowing to create a balance of air pressure in the middle ear in comparison to the air pressure outside. It is approximately 3.5 centimeters long. The Eustachian tube drains the mucous from the middle ear to the pharynx but may not drain properly if it is infected which could cause a swelling of the tube.

Tongue

Tongue is a muscular organ of the digestive system that is responsible for the sense of taste. It is located on the floor of the mouth with papillae located on it's surface. Taste buds contain taste receptors and are able to recognize salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami (savour) tastes. An average human tongue contains about 8000 taste buds. The human tongue includes eight muscles which aid with chewing food. These muscles allow the tongue to move in different directions. The human tongue is approximately 4 inches long. The human tongue is attached to the floor of the mouth by the frenulum and hyoid bone in the throat. Tongue's primary function is mastication (chewing) and its secondary function is speech, kissing, etc.

Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory processing disorder affects a person's ability to hear and/or comprehend sound. It is related to how the auditory section of the brain processes the sound. A person with this disorder can have normal hearing ability since this particular disorder does not mean inner ear impairment which is responsible for hearing sounds only. People who are affected by this condition cannot comprehend verbal words clearly and have  a difficult time distinguishing between different sounds. Some signs of this condition are: more time to process what is said, difficulty listening, having trouble paying attention to details, need the speaker to speak slowly. An Auditory Trainer can be used to help a person with this disorder.

Human Faeces

Feces are the waste product of human digestive tract. The faecal matter is formed in the large intestine where it solidifies. The faeces contain food residue, water, bacterias, and secretions from the small intestine and the liver such as bile, etc. The food that is eaten is absorbed through the small intestine and then the unabsorbed parts of the food accumulates, moves and stores in the large intestine. In large intestine the water and ions are absorbed through it's muscular walls, therefore the materials turn solid. The solid materials move out of the body through anus, by means of the muscles in large intestine and rectum contracting and moving the solid wastes forward. when blood cells die their colour change to brown/yellow and the bile coming from the liver causes the faeces to have a brownish colour. The smell of the faeces is the result of bacterias in the faeces, therefore giving it a bad smell.

Angioplasty

Angioplasty is the reconstruction of blood vessels that were damaged by cholesterol deposit, disease or injury. In this technique, a ballon catheter is inserted to the narrowed blood vessel and then inflated. The inflation causes the fatty deposits to disappear. After the ballon successfully widened the vessel, it is deflated and withdrawn. Another method to widen the blocked blood vessels is to use a stent. In this procedure a stent is placed around a balloon and inserted inside the vessel with a catheter. After the balloon is positioned properly, the balloon inflates and stent is left around the vessel's wall. The stent remain in the blood vessel permanently in this procedure. Radioactive colours are used to determine the site of damaged blood vessels before Angioplasty is done.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a subjective ringing/buzzing noise sensation in one or both ears that does not have an external source. Tinnitus is considered to be a symptom of an underlying condition such as otosclerosis or accumulation of ear wax. Listening to loud music with a headphone could cause the ringing sound in one or both ears. Tinnitus can last for a few minutes to many years and it can have negative effects a person's ability to sleep. Some of the treatments available for tinnitus are: cleaning the ear canal (if the condition is caused by ear wax accumulation) and cochlea implant (auditory part of the ear responsible to transfer vibrations to never fibbers) . Cochlea implant is surgically inserted inside the ear and allows the person to hear external voices.

How Do We Hear?

Sound waves first enter through the flap of the ear. The ear drum vibrates and causes three small bones (malleus, incus and stapes) to vibrate also afterwards.  As the stapes (one of the small bones) moves, it touches the oval window which separates inner and middle ear. At this stage, the oval window fluctuations causes the sound waves to be transferred to what is called the cochlea. There are two auditory liquids inside cochlea, perilymph and endolymph. In the organ of corti (auditory receptor area) small hair  cells receive vibrations from the auditory liquids and then the sound waves are sent to auditory nerve fibres where the sounds are heard.

Testosterone & It's Function In The Body

Testosterone is a male hormone (androgen) that is responsible for men's secondary sexual characteristics such as beard, deep voice and muscle mass. Testosterone is secreted from testes and adrenal glands(glands located on top of the kidneys that produce hormones and release them to the body) in males. Females body produces small amounts of testosterone in the adrenal glands which is necessary for healthy sexual drive and also prevents bone loss. According to a study the male body produces ten times more the amount of testosterone produced in females. It should also be mentioned that as the result of this, females are more sensitive to testosterone molecule. Some effects of testosterone on the body are: sperm production, causes enlargement of body organs such as brain, heart and liver, attention, spatial ability.

How do we see?

Light rays enter the cornea first which is a transparent layer on top of the pupil. Cornea focuses the light rays properly so that a clear vision is created. The function of the iris or the coloured portion of the eye is to contract and dilate the eyes during dark and bright times. The ciliary body produce flatting and thickening of the lenses for distant and close vision. After light rays have reached Retina (light sensitive layer of the eye), the electric impulses travel through the optic nerve and reaches the brain where an image is created. The part of the brain that is responsible for vision is called the cerebral cortex and located at the back of the brain.

An interesting fact about our eyes is that the images are upside down when they reach the retina but the brain corrects the image so we see it as an upright image.

What is phosphorus and how is it used in the body?

Phosphorus is a chemical element occurs naturally as phosphorus rock. Phosphorus is needed in body with calcium to build strong bones. Phosphorus is essential for digestion of calcium, protein and glucose. It is found in milk, cheese, eggs and nuts. It should be mentioned that the bones are made of calcium phosphate and half of those bones are made from phosphate. Any excessive intake of phosphorus or calcium will cause an imbalance in the body therefore causing deficiency in one of the above. A scientific research has been done regarding the the intake of calcium supplements with no phosphorus which indicates that people who take these supplements without a proper balance for their phosphorus intake, could face bone loss. Some of the health problems associated with phosphorus deficiency are bone loss, numbness and stress. Parathyroid glands produce parathyroid hormone which regulates and acts as a balancing factor when calcium levels are too high or low and therefore body readjusts itself to maintain a proper level of this element in the body. Another organ that regulates the phosphorus and calcium balance is the kidney by the process of filtration.

How Does Alcohol Affects The Liver?

Ethanol or drinking alcohol is one of the oldest recreational drugs that has been consumed since the ancient times. Recently with the advance of science, the harmful effects of alcohol on human body has been identified. One of the organs directly affected by alcohol consumption is the liver. Hepatitis as the result of excessive drinking could cause inflammation and destruction of liver tissues. Cirrhosis is associated with blood vessel stiffness and distorted look in the internal parts of the liver. Free radicals are highly reactive oxygen molecules that are believed to be the main cause of liver tissue damage. Alcohol consumption can weaken the effect of antioxidants (molecules that prevent oxidization in blood and therefore preventing damage to the cells that is coming from free radicals). A good news regarding the liver is that it is the only organ in the human body that can completely repair itself as long as the main veins are not too stiffened as the result of excessive alcohol consumption. It should also be mentioned that women will develop earlier signs of liver disease that men as the result of lower gastric factor and more alcohol filtration by the liver.

Liver

Liver is the largest gland in the body that is responsible for over 500 functions. The liver helps in metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, storage of glycogen (to be used when the body needs extra energy), detoxifying the blood, destroying old blood cells, secretion of bile (bile is used to help metabolize fat). The liver also stores different vitamins for a specific amount of time. Vitamin A is stored in liver for 1 to 2 years, vitamin D stored 1 to 4 months, vitamin B12 stored 1 to 3 years. Minerals such as copper and iron are also stored in the liver. The common diseases of liver are alcoholism, hepatitis A,B and C, cirrhosis and cancer.

Stem Cell

Stem cell is a formative, non-differentiated, immature cell which can become specialized in diverse range of cell types such as blood cells, brain cells, liver cells, skin cells and other types of cells. Two types of stem cells are: embryonic stem cells, taken from a blastocyte or an early stage embryo which is about 5 days old after fertilization. Adult stem cells is an undifferentiated cell in a specialized tissue that can renew itself to the form of the tissue in which it originated. Adult stem cells are found throughout the body. Embryo harvest by in vitro fertilization is done to obtain embryonic stem cells.

Thyroid Gland

Thyroid Gland is one of the endocrine glands in the body. It is located in the neck below Adam's Apple. The main function of the thyroid gland is regulating how fast body uses energy and controls hormonal production. The Thyroid hormones T3 and T4 regulate the metabolism rate. Two major disorders associated with the Thyroid Gland are: Hyperthyroidism: excessive production of thyroid hormones which causes weight loss, excessive sweating, muscle weakness and sensitivity to heat; Hypothyroidism: decreased production of Thyroid hormones which could cause weight gain, tiredness and cold intolerance.

Asbestos

Asbestos is a silicate mineral rock and is used in building materials and has fire resistance property. Asbestos can resist high temperature, many chemicals and wear. It is also a poor conductor, therefore it insulates well against electricity and heat. You can find asbestos materials in walls, ceiling, roof and pipe covering. The asbestos fibres that are similar to crystals can get trapped in the lungs and the person who is in contact can develop mesothelioma or asbestosis after working in an environment where asbestos is used. Despite health hazards Asbestos is not banned in canada and russia and exported mainly to third world countries such as china and India.

Adam's Apple

The laryngeal Prominence or Adam's Apple is a protrusion that is formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage that surrounds the larynx. It happens during the puberty when larynx grows in the throat and is more visible in males, therefore giving them a deeper voice. A cosmetic surgery called thyroid chondroplasty can be performed to reduce the size of Adam's Apple. This surgery could change the voice of the patient and cause permanent damage, as well as scars on the operated area. The surgery is done by reducing the size of the thyroid cartilage. 

Wernicke's Aphasia

Aphasia is a disorder that is related to language comprehension. Wernicke's aphasia (fluent Aphasia) is a type of aphasia where an individual has poor comprehension of reading and writing. This condition could be caused by a lesion in wernicke's centre or stroke. People with aphasia may talk in long sentences that have little or no meaning and also have a difficult time to comprehend speech. Anyone suspected of having aphasia will be referred to a neurologist where he will be asked to follow commands and answer questions to determine his level of disability. The patient can then be referred to a language pathologist where more comprehensive tests are done. There is no medical treatment available but the person can improve his language skills to reduce the symptoms of this condition.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes tiredness and excessive sleepiness. Scientists believe that narcolepsy is caused by reduced amounts of Hypocretine which is a protein produced in hypothalamus.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is one of the main characteristics of narcolepsy where a person has to take a nap or a few naps during the day even after a good night sleep. There is no cure for narcolepsy but there are ways to ease the symptoms. Some of the treatments for narcolepsy are: having a regular sleep pattern, avoiding fatty/heavy meals and alcoholic beverages, taking naps during the day, taking stimulus medications to help with wakefulness and antidepressant to reduce sleep attacks if present.

A Neuron

A neuron is an individual nerve cell. A stimulus begins from the branches of dendrites until it reaches the cell body.The impulse then travels from the cell nucleus along the Axon to the terminal end where it jumps from one neuron to the other. The space where the nerve impulse jumps from one neuron to the other is called the synapse. The transfer of impulses depend on the release of chemicals called neurotransmitter. Some neurotransmitters are Acetylcholine, epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin.

Sperm & Semen Production

The male sex cell, Spermatozoon consists of a head which contains the chromosomes and a tail region which is called flagellum. The tail helps the sperm cell to move forward to the fallopian tube where it reaches the ovum (egg). The sperm is produced in the testicles and the whitish substance called semen is produced in the seminal vesicles, prostate gland and urethral glands. The sperm takes 3 months to fully mature in order to impregnate a female. It is then stored in epididymis which is a tube located above the testicles. During the ejaculation process, the sperm in the ejaculatory duct mixes with seminal prostate, seminal and urethral glands to form semen. Various minerals and vitamins such as zinc, magnesium, vitamin C, etc help the sperm cell to survive its journey through the acidic walls of vagina.

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is the normal paralysis of the body that occurs during REM sleep (dreaming phase of sleeping). It happens either when falling sleep or awakening from sleep. During REM sleep, eyes scan left and right, heart beat and breathing becomes irregular, blood flow to the genital area creates a state of sexual arousal. At this time a chemical called Acetylcholine released from the brain stem to immobilize the body's movements. It is then that the body becomes paralyzed. It is the body's mechanism to immobilize the body so that the person does not act according to his/her brain. Some of the causes of sleep paralysis could be alcohol consumption, environmental changes and stress. In the end, sleep paralysis is a normal function of human body and anyone with this condition can learn and recognize this phase of sleeping by letting the paralysis to finish without reacting with fear or panic to avoid any stress or emotional problems.

How is Iron Made

Iron is made from iron ore, that is any rock such as Magnetite, Hematite, Limonite or Goethitite. Iron consists of iron and oxygen atoms that are bonded together. In order to get iron, the ore must be deoxygenated to leave only iron atoms behind. Heat is needed for this process and because coal is easily available, it is used to heat the ore to get the oxygen out and what is left is called wrought iron. In order to create steel, more heat need and the ore must be mixed with up to %1.5 carbon but no oxygen and any kind of impurity.

Gastric Bypass

Gastric Bypass is a surgical procedure to reduce the size of stomach by bypassing food from duodenum (first part of small intestine) to jejunum (second part of small intestine) so that the food we eat has a shorter time to travel inside the small intestine and therefore less food is absorbed. This procedure is done for severely obese people and they can expect to lose 65 to 80 percent of their body weight. Infection, Haemorrhage (bleeding) and hernia are some of the complications that could develop after or during the surgery.

Ectopic Pregnancy

An Ectopical pregnancy is an abnormal pregnancy when the fetus develops outside of the womb. Normal Pregnancy happens in the upper portion of Uterus (womb). Ectopic pregnancy usually happens in the fallopian tube and rarely in the ovary or peritoneal cavity.

Lactose Intolerance

Most of us especially anyone who works in the health care field have heard about Lactose Intolerance, Where individuals have to make necessary changes to avoid the common symptoms associated with this condition.
Lactose Intolerance is a genetic condition when the human body is unable to digest lactose (a type of sugar) in milk and milk products. The small intestine is responsible to absorb food into our blood stream. When Lactose is present, the small intestine does not produce or produce a very small amount of lactase (an enzyme) to break down lactose and therefore it cannot be absorbed. Common symptoms of Lactose intolerance are abdominal bloating, cramps, diarrhea, gas and nausea. A balanced diet of vegetables and cutting on dairy products consumption can improve the symptoms.

What Is A Biopsy?

A Biopsy is a medical examination that involves the removal of cells, tissues or bodily fluids to determine the existence or cause of ant disease if present. There are different kinds of biopsy depending on the patient's illness. The above picture show two types of biopsy. The picture on the left shows a breast biopsy where a small syringe is inserted in one breast and fluid is withdrawn from a lump for medical examination. The picture on the right shows a skin biopsy where a special blade in inserted inside the skin and a piece of skin is cut for further examination in a medical lab

Money Talks

United states of America is the richest country on earth. China is the second and japan is the third richest countries on earth. The richest countries by GDP are Liechtenstein, Qatar and Luxembourg. Richest middle eastern countries are Saudi Arabia, Iran and United Arab Emirates. Richest European countries are Germany, France and United Kingdom. Richest South American countries are Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Richest african countries are South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. Richest Asian countries are China, Japan and India.

A Political View

During my years of reading, learning and exploring politics, I understood a simple facts that very well ma be known to you, my viewers also, yet I will discuss it with you, as my first blog posting until I come about more fascinating subjects.

Each political party, republican, democrat, NDP, green party, liberal, communism etc have their own supporters. These supporters include businessmen ( wealthy people who earn well above a very hight tax bracket), middle class people, labour class ( are in low or lowest tax bracket) and foreign interest and political groups. A Conservative voter would have the following qualities/demands which makes him or her interested to vote for a conservative leader. He or she is of a well paid group of citizens, planning to open a business, is in favour of more rules and regulations such as more criminal sentencing to longer prison time and more fines. He or she may have connections to a certain special interest group that represent her ideology or needs such as a jewish person who wants to support and promote jewish rights who may be in favour of a certain political party which has good ties with that lobby and of course in return the party gets benefits in terms of money, campaign, promotions, etc. The same can be applied to other people who choose a political party, also no political party always represent what it claims to be it's political manifesto and it changes during the course of history.