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Hormones affected by insulin resistance
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body’s insulin receptors are not as receptive to the hormone insulin, causing the pancreas to produce more insulin in order for the body to appropriately convert blood glucose to energy. The condition is thought to be...
The body's regulation of blood sugar and glucose
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
Glucose is a sugar and the main energy source used by the body. Carbohydrates that you eat are broken down, converted to glucose and then absorbed by the bloodstream. Circulating glucose is one of several blood sugars, which also include fructose and galactose, but when...
What is Loeys-Dietz Syndrome?
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a genetic disorder named after Dr. Bart Loeys and Dr. Hal Dietz at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. They were the first to describe the disorder in 2005. Because it is a newly recognized disorder and no two patients have...
An overview of hypermobility syndrome
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
Hypermobility syndrome is a joint condition that allows movement beyond the normal function of the joint. The connections between bones are usually contained within a network of ligaments and connective tissue that support and control the movement of the bones. An good illustration of the...
How the gender of a child is determined at the time of conception
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
A baby’s genotypic gender is determined at conception. Genotypic gender in humans is XX (female) or XY (male), though some variations exist based on chromosomal anomalies (i.e. sex polysomies, such as XXY and XYY). The actual sex of the baby (girl or boy)...
Function of the spleen
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
The spleen is a small organ in the abdominal cavity that is considered to be part of the lymphatic system, which also includes the lymph nodes. The lymphatic system consists of a series of vessels that parallel the circulatory system to allow drainage of excess...
Side effects of gases used for general anesthesia
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
General anesthesia is used to, as commonly said, “put a patient under” for surgery and other invasive medical or dental procedures. As explained by Dr. Arjun Desai and colleagues for Medscape, general anesthesia is a reversible state of unconsciousness in which the patients can...
Functions of lipids in the human body
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
Lipids include fatty acids (making up fats and oils), steroids (including cholesterol), phospholipids and waxes. One function of lipids in the body is to serve as an energy reserve, others serve as components of cell structure and yet other lipids act as hormones and signaling...
How the circulatory system works
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
The circulatory system in humans is a closed system – blood travels through vessels in a loop from the tissues to the heart, with a second loop between the heart and the lungs. Some animals have open circulatory systems where the blood floods over the...
The five senses of human beings
By: Alicia M Prater PhD
The senses are a concept taught very early in human education. They define the environment, allowing people to act and react to their surroundings as well as survive and adapt. Sight, smell, sound, taste and touch are the five senses – all attached to the...

 

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