The immune system has several mechanisms to neutralize invading microorganisms, limit the damage to the body and totally eradicate the infection. This immune response is a carefully coordinated sequence of events that ensures that the invaders are specifically targeted and the body’s tissues are spared. However, >> Read More ...
Joints are the flexible parts of the body that allow for various degree of movements between two or more bones. In order to understand the anatomy of the wrist and hand joints, it is first important to identify all the bones in this part of the upper limb. The bones of the forearm include the radius and ulna which extend >> Read More ...
The heart valves are important structures in the heart and at its junction with the major arteries. By opening and closing at different stages of heart contraction, these valves ensure that blood flows in one direction through the heart. There are four main valves in the heart and blood vessels – one between the >> Read More ...
Hypertension is a blood pressure measuring 140/90 mmHg or greater most of the time. Blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day but normally does exceed levels above 130/80 mmHg except in acute stress or shock. A normal blood pressure may even drop as low as 100/60 mmHg during relaxed periods and sleep. With hypertension >> Read More ...
The heart receives blood in its atria and pushes out blood from its ventricles. There are four such chambers in the heart – right and left atria (singular ~ atrium) and the right and left ventricles. The right side of the heart (right atrium and right ventricles) handles deoxygenated blood (blood that is low in >> Read More ...
Congenital heart defects arise in the fetal stage in life when the development of the heart and/or great blood vessels is disrupted in some manner. This leads to a structural abnormality in the heart or vessels which depending on the type and extent may case mild to severe symptoms or can even be life threatening. The >> Read More ...
The terms congenital and acquired are frequently used in medicine to describe a disorder, disease or defect that is either present from birth (congenital) or develops during the course of life (acquired). Congenital defects stem from fetal development but is often only obvious after birth once the baby’s body has to >> Read More ...
The heart is a muscular pump with its own electrical system to keep it functioning independently. Electrical impulses are generated in the sinoatrial node (SA node) in the atrial wall, passes directly to the muscles of the atria, is delayed in the atrioventricular node (AV node) and then transmitted to the muscles of the >> Read More ...
The heart has a complex electrical system which regulates the contraction and relaxation of its muscular wall. This enables the heart to function by receiving blood during relaxation and pumping it out with force to the lungs and other parts of the body. The rhythm of the heart beat is controlled by a natural pacemaker >> Read More ...
The brain is a complex organ which controls all the functions of the body. By receiving, processing and transmitting electrical impulses, the brain is able to carry out its diverse functions. At any given time, there is extensive electrical activity in the normal human brain due to the incoming, outgoing and crossing >> Read More ...
