There are many diseases associated with the spleen. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, the spleen is an important part of a person's immune system. The spleen, which is approximately...
Ashkenazi refers to a certain ethnic group of Jewish people that are of Eastern European descent. These groups of people are predisposed to certain genetic diseases. These diseases can abruptly shorten life-span and wreak havoc on the body. Most...
There are numerous diseases that affect the human spleen. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, the spleen is an organ located in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, and it is an important...
Lipids are a form of fat that serves as an important structural component of the body's cell walls. Lipids are also stored in tissues and are broken down when the body can no longer utilize glucose. An example of this occurrence is when one...
Nutritional diseases and disorders essentially stem from the body's inability to metabolize essential nutrients to maintain a balance in order to sustain life. These diseases can impair the absorption and distribution of vitamins and minerals, as...
The spleen is a vascular lymphoid organ that filters the blood and traps any foreign invaders in the white blood cells in the spleen. The spleen also produces the lymphocytes needed by our immune system to initiate a proper attack against...
Bumps on the white part of the eye might be so small that they are only a cosmetic annoyance or they can be so large that they hinder your vision. Most bumps are harmless and will grow and shrink over time, but sometimes these bumps signal a more...
The lysosome is an intracellular organelle (a small compartment within almost each cell) that is necessary for breaking down large molecules (chemical, atomic structure or protein). Molecules need to be broken down either because they were...
Genetic diseases occur when there is a variation or alteration in a gene. Causes of genetic abnormalities include environmental, congenital and gene mutation within the cell that can occur at random. Inherited genetic diseases require a specific...
Lipids, or fats, are an important source of energy in the human body. Lipids in the body are constantly broken down, metabolized and used for energy production and replenished from food. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library underlines that...
The whole of a person's DNA, called the genome, consists of components called nucleotide bases. The bases link together to form a series of base pairs, and the sequence of base pairs codes for thousands of genes required for growth and survival....
The spleen is an organ you don't hear that much about, yet it performs several important functions. It removes damaged red blood cells and it keeps a reserve of blood ready to be used if your blood pressure drops too low. It keeps a reserve supply...
The list of systemic diseases causing eye and visual problems is very long. Many of the systemic diseases affect the blood vessels throughout the body, including the eyes. Others may affect the muscles, which causes the immune system to interfere...
An enzyme is a protein that speeds up the rate at which a chemical reaction occurs. Enzymes are substrate specific, meaning that each type of enzyme has a specific type of molecule that it affects. The human body needs enzymes to influence the...
The liver is the body's largest solid organ. An average healthy liver measures approximately 8 inches across and 6.5 inches down, and is 4.5 inches thick. It weighs about 3.5 lb. An enlarged liver is called hepatomegaly. It is a symptom of liver...
Spleen enlargement--sometimes referred to as splenomegaly--occurs when a large number of red blood cells and platelets get trapped inside the spleen, causing it to grow to an abnormal size. According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, an...
Osteonecrosis occurs when bone tissue dies, which can cause the bone to collapse, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases. The condition can affect any bone but is most common in the thigh, upper arm, knees,...
Swollen glands in the neck are quite a common problem in children. The lymph nodes help the body fight infections. They exist throughout the body, including in the neck, as part of the lymphatic system. Several conditions may cause lymph nodes in...
Both the bones and joints in the human body can be injured by accidents, activities and diseases. Some of these disorders are severe enough that they can deeply impair the patient's ability to move. Three common types of bone and joint...
The spleen is a small organ located in the left side of the abdomen below the stomach that serves vital functions in the body. It produces white blood cells that enable the body to fight infection, and it stores platelets that enable blood to...
The liver is responsible for making a variety of proteins, including those important for blood clotting. It also processes certain chemicals and toxins in the blood. Some illnesses can cause the liver to become enlarged, which is also known as...
Abnormal accumulation of fat in liver cells causes a condition called fatty liver or steatosis. Fatty liver is important because it can trigger an inflammatory reaction, which may cause liver scarring and possibly cirrhosis. Steatohepatitis is the...
Joint diseases describe those illnesses that affect the joints, which are where two bones come together. Joints consist of bones, cartilage, muscles and ligaments and not only hold the skeleton together, but also allow for movement. A thin layer...
White blood cells function to protect the body from foreign invaders such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. For the immune system to function properly, the body needs a sufficient number of white blood cells. Normally, stem cells in the...
Hurler syndrome is a condition that affects children and is characterized by the body's inability to produce an enzyme, lysosomal alpha-L-iduronidase, which breaks down long chains of sugar molecules called mucopolysaccharides. These molecules are...
Pain that comes from the bones and joints most often results from inflammatory conditions, other disease processes or malignancy. Overall, the majority of skeletal pain has its roots in systemic diseases, according to "Current Medical Diagnosis...
Numerous conditions can cause pain in the upper left hip. Hip pain may be felt in one or both hips, depending on the cause of the pain and the tissues involved. Determining the source of pain can be difficult, as hip-related pain may be felt in...
Triglycerides are a form of fat, and cholesterol has similar properties. Both are essential parts of the diet, crucial to many processes in the body and to overall good health. However, the wrong types of fat, or excess fat and cholesterol, are...
Lipid metabolism is your body's way of using a broad array of substances such as fat and cholesterol for several important cellular functions. Diabetes is linked to problems with lipid metabolism because the hormone insulin is involved in starting...
