Autoimmune disorders are those diseases that occur as a result of the body’s immune system attacking different cells, tissues, organs or the entire body. The body has a number of mechanisms to prevent the immune system from attacking its own tissues but under certain conditions, these self regulating mechanisms may >> Read More ...
What Is Paleness? Paleness (pallor in Latin) is abnormal loss of color from normal skin or mucous membranes due to reduced amount of the blood in the skin arteries. Paleness should be distinguished from other causes of prominent white skin: Fair skin is genetically determined skin hue with low concentration of skin pigment >> Read More ...
What Is Infection? An infection is an invasion and multiplying of pathogenic microbes in the body tissues in which they are not usually present (1). Pathogenic means capable of causing disease. Infection does not always cause a disease. Definitions of Infection-Related Terms A colonization is the usual presence of >> Read More ...
What Is Sepsis? Sepsis (Greek sepsis= putrefaction, decay) is an exaggerated response of body’s immune system to an infection, like severe pneumonia or cellulitis, which has spread to the blood; it is also called blood infection. If treatment does not start promptly, sepsis may be deadly. NOTE: Bacteremia, viremia, >> Read More ...
What Is The Heart The heart (in Latin cor; in Greek kardia) is a muscular organ that pumps the blood through the vessels, supplying the body cells with oxygen and nutrients. Together with the brain, the heart is the center of one’s personality and emotional life. Location of the Heart The heart lies in the middle of >> Read More ...
What Does “Immune” and “Immunity” Mean? Immune in medicine means “protected against infection”. Immunity means resistance against certain infections. What Is Infection and Who Develops Infectious Disease? Infection is an invasion of harmful microbes in the body. It depends on >> Read More ...
A throat infection is one of the most common upper respiratory tract conditions affecting every person at some point in life. The most common pathogens are viruses and then bacteria. Among the different types of bacteria, it is the group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes) that are more commonly involved in a sore >> Read More ...
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 ...
There are several processes that ensure that blood loss is stopped when a blood vessel is torn or ruptured. A platelet plug quickly reduces and even stops the blood loss and is then further secured by a blood clot which is more long lasting measure. In order for the body to carry out these functions, it needs a number of >> Read More ...
Red blood cells (RBCs) or erythrocytes are small round cells that circulate in the blood stream and carry oxygen throughout the body. These cells measure about 6 to 8 micrometers (um) in diameter which is equivalent to 0.006 to 0.008 millimeters – too small to be seen by the naked eye. The cells are disc shaped with >> Read More ...
