Inflammatory bowel disease refers to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. These conditions are characterized by gastrointestinal inflammation that originates when the body's immune system...
Psoriasis is a skin condition in which the immune cells attack the cells of the skin, resulting in the rapid division of the skin cells. One form of psoriasis treatment is known as biologics.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), biological therapy is a type of drug therapy that works in conjunction with a person's immune system. Many cancer treatments are actually biological drugs that help the immune system fight cancer...
Medications that slow down the progression of the disease rheumatoid arthritis are called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or DMARDs, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some DMARDs, called biologic agents, target...
If you are adopted, you may have a desire to locate your biological parents. Although some adoptees seek contact for purposes such as determining their own medical history, most do so for emotional reasons. Consider the possible consequences of...
The legal term "biological father" typically refers to a man who fathers a child out of wedlock. Technically, a married man can be a biological father, but that is not a customary use of the term. A biological father has a variety of rights when...
Allegations of performance-enhancing drug use by competitive cyclists has tarnished the reputation of the sport and some of its biggest stars. To give riders a competitive edge, trainers and athletes alike are constantly seeking new drugs and ways...
When a man is determined to be the biological father of a child, that creates a legal connection to the child that can only be severed through the adoption of the child by another set of parents, or by a court-ordered removal of any parental...
Depression can take many forms, and it is attributed by the Mayo Clinic and others to a blend of social, genetic and environmental triggers. However, the biological components of depression are a major factor influencing the severity, extent and...
Stress carries a three-fold definition, depending upon whether you are measuring the physical response, emotional response, or the biological response in the human body. Yet despite differences in exhibited symptoms, the underlying biological...
When small organic molecules bind together, they form larger molecules called biological macromolecules. Biological macromolecules fall into four categories: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Your body uses carbohydrates, lipids...
Heavy use of alcohol can interfere with a number of biological aspects of the body and effect the immediate functioning of the brain, heart and other organ systems. While alcohol can have negative short-term effects on biological function, chronic...
The biological effects of radiation depend on a number of things: dosage, exposure rate, the type of radiation used and where the radiation is aimed in your body. Possibilities include radiation burns locally and generalized radiation sickness....
A baby enters toddlerhood when he begins to walk -- sometime around the first birthday. As the child leaves infancy, his biological development progresses rapidly. Both the body and brain grow and change during toddlerhood, opening new...
Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance the body needs to build strong cell membranes, produce hormones and make bile acids used to digest dietary fat. Although necessary for normal body functions, too much cholesterol in the blood vessels leads...
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder diagnosed in childhood where children have difficulties maintaining attention and controlling hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control, about...
Major depression afflicts 6.7 percent of American adults each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Whether depression manifests with symptoms severe enough to be a diagnosable disorder, or occurs just as the result of life...
Everyone suffers from states of sadness and fatigue. However, chronic and persistent unhappiness may lead to a clinical diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder. According to mental health guidelines provided by the American Psychiatric...
Depression is a chronic mental disorder that affects all areas of an individual's life. It is characterized by extreme despair, feelings of worthlessness, persistent fatigue and/or thoughts of suicide. Approximately 10 percent of adults over the...
When a person suffers from an anxiety disorder, it can feel like his body is raging out of control. It makes sense, then, to consider the biological factors underlying anxiety. Biology alone does not explain why anxiety disorders occur. Anxiety...
MayoClinic.com describes attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a common chronic neurobehavioral condition that is characterized by inattention, hyperactive and impulsive behavior. Children with ADHD may have a hard time making friends...
The biological effects of nicotine occur due to its interaction with nerve cells in the body and brain. Nicotine interacts primarily with the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body responses. The body-wide distribution of the...
Anxiety disorders afflict approximately 40 million American adults each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety disorders can manifest in many different forms, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder,...
Lactose is the chemical name for milk sugar--it occurs naturally in milk and other dairy products. While your cells can use the chemical building blocks of lactose as a source of chemical energy, lactose doesn't have any special biological...
Hypertension is the leading cause of stroke, kidney and heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it affects roughly 74.5 million people in the U.S. alone and contributed to the deaths of 326,000 Americans in...
Bipolar disorder is a biological disorder in which neurotransmitters--chemical messengers in the brain--malfunction, according to Psych Central. Bipolar disorder is characterized by fluctuating moods that consist of extreme excitement and intense...
Cells are the biological units of life, and all living organisms are composed of one or more cells. Some organisms, like bacteria, are made up of a single cell responsible for all the functions performed by the organism. More complicated living...
Insomnia involves problems falling asleep or staying asleep, frequently resulting in sleep deprivation. Inadequate sleep adversely affects nervous system function and may contribute to decreased immune function. The National Heart, Lung and Blood...
Ginkgo biloba is among the best selling herbal supplements in the United States and Europe, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The leaf, seed, and extract of this herb has been studied for its biological uses and medicinal...
Bladder cancer can refer to any number of cancerous growths in the urinary bladder. Learn about bladder cancer and treatment options in this video.