Cells within the brain generally are classified as neurons and glia. Neurons communicate with neurons in the brain and throughout the body to allow for movement, organ functioning and higher mental processes. Glia are the supporting cells that aid...
Alzheimer's disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder, in which cells throughout the brain become damaged and die. Progression of Alzheimer's leads to memory loss, behavioral and emotional disturbances, diminished motor skills and...
Alzheimer's designates a neurodegenerative condition, where toxic plaques build up in areas of the brain important for processing memories. The ongoing accumulation of these plaques eventually short-circuits communication between brain cells,...
The cell cycle -- the sequence of steps your cells go through during cell division -- plays an important role in your health. Defects in the cell cycle can lead to diminished cell and tissue growth, while a loss of control over the cell cycle can...
About 45,000 new cases of leukemia are diagnosed yearly in the United States, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Leukemia is a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow where blood cells are produced. If a white blood...
Hot peppers are reported to aid dieters, and they are shown to prevent cancer. Hot peppers contain a molecule called capsaicin. Capsaicin is shown to stimulate the same conditions as Ephedra, which was used as a dietary supplement to improve...
The behavior of cells within your body is tightly controlled and regulated by a number of genes and proteins. Dysregulation of cell behavior can lead to uncontrolled cell division, and cancer. Often, the initiating stages of cancer occur in a...
A stoke is a medical condition caused by the interruption of blood flow to the brain, which causes brain cell death. Immediate side effects of a stroke include headache, dizziness and difficulty with speech or motor coordination. The aftereffects...
The National Cancer Institute estimated that esophageal cancer will cause 14,500 deaths and 16,640 new cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2010. Esophageal cancer is a form of adenocarcinoma, and the cancer develops within mucous-producing...
Chemo treatments allow doctors to treat a number of cancers. Although chemotherapy drugs perform a range of functions and employ different mechanisms of action, the drugs generally prevent cancer cells from dividing and promote cancer cell death....
Apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death, plays physiologic as well as pathologic roles in the course of your life. In some cases, programmed cell death is vital to proper functioning; this is the case during fetal development, as targeted...
Parkinson's disease is caused by death of specific cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. The death of these cells results in difficulty controlling movements and other psychiatric problems. Increasing dopamine levels in...
Bloodroot is presently the focus of varied medical studies and experiments, but only modest scientific research has been performed to substantiate its use as a treatment for cervical cancer. Thus far, sanguinaria, the purported anticancer and...
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, the network of tissues and organs that manufactures and transports disease-fighting white blood cells. Lymphoma is commonly treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and...
According to an Institute of Medicine Report to Congress in 1996, cocaine, heroin and marijuana are not as harmful to a developing fetus as alcohol. Alcohol passes easily through the mother's bloodstream into the fetus, causing the fetus' blood...
The brain contains billions of cells, working together to support cognitive function and processes required to sustain life. Cells within the brain can be broadly classified as neurons or glia. Neurons, the nerve cells of the brain, communicate...
Cancer of the ear is a type of head and neck cancer--a cancer of the epithelial cells that make up tissues within the head and neck. Cancer of the ear often develops from the skin overlying the ear, or may occur within the epithelial lining of the...
Although calcium is mostly associated with preventing osteoporosis and improving bone health, calcium might also play a role in fighting certain cancers, especially colon cancer. Research indicates that increasing your intake of calcium from...
Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by buildups of toxic protein within the brain. These buildups, called plaques, cause nerve cell death and ultimately lead to dementia. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that...
Triphala is an Indian ayurvedic herb. Recently, it has been investigated for use as an anti-carcinogen. Triphala has also shown antioxidant and immune-enhancing benefits in test tube studies. It contains several compounds that are responsible for...
Reishi mushrooms, whose scientific name is Ganoderma lucidum, have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as a powerful herbal remedy in treating varied illnesses. Results from several laboratory experiments suggest that reishi...
Bilberry is any of several species of shrubs in the genus Vaccinium, which produce edible berries valuable for culinary and medicinal purposes. The fruit of these plants have shown promise for inhibiting growth and proliferation of several breast...
According to the American Society of Radiation Oncologists, two-thirds of all cancers are currently treated with some form of radiation. Radiation, or "radiotherapy," may be used as the primary treatment or as an adjunct to surgery or...
Glutathione and alpha lipoic acid are antioxidant molecules that destroy toxins in the body and prevent cell damage. Alpha lipoic acid is present in every cell, where it assists in energy production. Glutathione is an important detoxifying...
The National Cancer Institutes indicate that more than 40,000 new cases of leukemia were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2010. Leukemia is a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow -- tissue that is responsible for producing different types of...
While apoptosis means suicide or self-destruction for the cell, it is absolutely necessary; without it, damaged and unwanted cells would not be eliminated, and tumor cells would be able to develop and escape from the immune system. But tumor cells...
Invasive ductal carcinoma, also called IDC, is an aggressive cancer of the breast ducts. It is the most common type of breast cancer, and accounts for 8 out of 10 cancers, according to BreastCancer.org. During cancer development, breast duct cells...
Cirrhosis describes a destructive condition of healthy tissue of the liver. This healthy liver tissue is replaced by hard nodules connected by strands of thick fibrous tissue. The damaged liver cells leave the liver unable to perform its hundreds...
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an amino acid important for assisting the body in conducting functions on the molecular level and providing an antioxidant source to fight against respiratory and neurodegenerative disorders. It has been shown to provide...
Stomach cancer is a decreasing cancer in the USA, but is also a leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Stomach cancer is when cells in the stomach become cancerous. In this video learn more about this cancer and how to prevent and treat it.
