The vocal cords are two narrow folds of muscle covered with mucous membrane which are situated side-by-side inside the voice box or larynx, guarding the entrance to the windpipe. They are mainly responsible for the production of sound. The folds vibrate as exhaled air from the lungs is passed through them, and this vibration brings forth sound, or voice. The […]
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The hippocampus forms part of the cerebral cortex and is found in all vertebrates. This structure has a long evolutionary history, over which some features have been conserved, such as its connection to other areas in the brain, while others have diverged such as the variation in cellular composition found across different groups of vertebrates, for example. The hippocampus plays […]
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Rhabdomyolysis represents a syndrome characterized by muscle necrosis and the release of intracellular muscle constituents into the circulation. The clinical manifestations and ensuing complications of rhabdomyolysis stem from muscle cell death, which can be triggered by a myriad of initiating events. Causes of rhabdomyolysis can be broadly divided into physical (traumatic) and non-physical (non-traumatic). The most common causes are muscle […]
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The most common symptom or sign of an eating disorder is the distorted body image also known as body dysmorphia. Body dysmorphia occurs in both anorexia and bulimia. Warning signs of eating disorders include: Several food and eating related behaviors may be altered. The person may skips meals, take tiny portions, refuse to eat with others, eats in ritualistic ways, […]
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Morphine is a highly potent and addictive opioid that is used widely in clinical medicine and surgery for a variety of reasons. Due to the euphoria and pleasurable effects the drug exerts, it is also widely used for recreational purposes and is commonly abused by drug addicts. Pharmacokinetics of morphine Absorption Morphine is absorbed into the bloodstream via multiple routes […]
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Colic in infants is one of the most upsetting features of early infant life. Affecting from a third to a fifth of all babies, it is characterized by the occurrence of frequent and unexplained episodes of excessive crying, which start around the same time on almost every day, and last for three hours or more. It may last from weeks […]
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Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a rheumatic disease characterized by recurrent inflammatory episodes. PMR is usually seen in Caucasians living in Northern Europe and North America. The condition generally affects people over the age of 50 years (with average patient age being above 70 years), and is more common in women than men. The disease is largely heterogeneous in nature and […]
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Basal cell carcinomas are slow-growing cancers. They typically appear as elevated or flat lesions present on the sun-exposed parts of the body such as the face, scalp, chin, neck or back. The lesions are more common in fair-skinned and blond or red-haired individuals and are therefore common among those of European ancestry. Those with albinism are also at a greater […]
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Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is the major cause of acute renal failure in children. It follows gastroenteritis caused by a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strain, most frequently O157:H7, though other strains are also implicated in some outbreaks. The infection is self-limited in most children, but in 10-15% of cases, the toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream and bind to receptors […]
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Gene therapy is a form of therapy that involves inserting one or more corrective genes that have been designed in the laboratory, into the genetic material of a patient's cells to cure a genetic disease. The expression of the new gene or genes can then alter the DNA or RNA transcript used to synthesis proteins and therefore correct the disease. […]
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