Your lungs are designed to cyclically expand and contract in a manner permitting the tidal exchange of air. The system is designed to maximize the effectiveness of the muscles used in respiration by capitalizing on the elastic properties of the...
According to MayoClinic.com, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, claiming more lives than colon, prostate, ovarian, lymph and breast cancers combined. Lung cancer may be asymptomatic in its early stages....
The cardiovascular system, or circulatory system, is primarily responsible for transport. It moves oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, removes waste products from the tissues to organs of excretion, provides nutrients necessary for metabolism...
Thoracic surgery encompasses invasive procedures utilized to diagnose and treat diseases and disorders of the chest organs. Surgeons perform an array of different thoracic surgery procedures, increasingly employing minimally invasive surgical...
The lungs are shaped like large, spongy, slightly concave cones on either side of the chest cavity. Made of multitudes of air sacs, they are lightweight and elastic. The right lung is larger than the left and has three lobes; the left lung has two...
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited illness affecting one in 3000 live births. In the past, patients with cystic fibrosis died in their teens, but today they may live into their 50s with proper medical treatment and self-care. Cystic fibrosis involves...
Doctors perform various surgical procedures to treat mesothelioma. A wide local excision performed to excise the cancer as well as the surrounding tissue. A more complex surgical procedure, known as a pleurectomy, involves removal of the exterior...
Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the United States according to the Mayo Clinic, describes the abnormal growth of cells in the lungs. Lung cancers typically begin in the cells lining the bronchial tubes, as described by the...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lung cancer kills more Americans than any other type of cancer. More than 159,000 Americans will die from lung cancer in 2009, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Your body relies on vitamins and other nutrients to function properly, so being deficient in any vitamin can cause adverse health effects. Vitamin B-12 is part of a group of vitamins called B complex. Together, these vitamins help manufacture...
Mesothelioma is a cancer that starts in the lining of the chest cavity or the lining of the abdominal cavity. The lining in the chest cavity covers the lungs and is called the pleura. Pleural mesothelioma is when mesothelioma forms in this tissue.
Asbestos is a compound that was formerly used in insulation. Asbestos fibers can get suspended in dust, which is then inhaled. Asbestos fibers can settle in the lungs and penetrate the lung cells, leading to genetic changes that cause cancer....
Cigarette smoke, whether inhaled firsthand or secondhand, causes a number of dangerous side effects. The smoke contains a number of toxic chemicals that can damage your heart, lungs, and increase your risk of developing cancer. According to the...
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the layer of tissues that surrounds organs. The Mayo Clinic states that 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Mesothelioma is more often seen in men than in women and the...
Pulmonary nodules are small round or oval spots on one or both of the lungs that are less than 3 cm in diameter, according to the University of Colorado Hospital. Though a pulmonary nodule can be a sign of lung cancer, National Jewish Health...
The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels. The job of the cardiovascular system is to deliver blood to the tissues, muscles and bones of the body.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic. Should you begin displaying symptoms, such as coughing up blood, shortness of breath and a chronic cough, undergo testing as...
Red blood cells transport oxygen from your lungs to all cells and tissues. It also removes the waste carbon dioxide from your body. Everyday, your body removes millions of red blood cells and replaces them with new ones. Because iron is an...
Conventional cough medicines can cause drowsiness, grogginess and may be too strong for some individuals. If you are looking for a natural alternative to treat your cough, ginger may be just the thing. According to "The Encyclopedia of Medicinal...
When you light up a cigarette, more than 4,000 chemicals enter your lungs, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Although these chemicals affect the lungs in different ways, even smoking one cigarette can cause permanent harm....
The mesothelium is a thin layer of tissue that surrounds all the organs in the body. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in this layer of tissue. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 thousand people...
Obstructive lung disease, commonly referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, is a group of respiratory disorders which block airflow into the lungs and make breathing difficult. Disorders include emphysema, chronic bronchitis...
Lung cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells begin to grow and spread in the tissue of the lung.The two main types are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, states the National Cancer Institute. Your treatment plan is...
Lung cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health, NIH is the deadliest type of cancer in the U.S. It kills more people than breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined each year in the U.S. There are two main types of lung...
A biopsy of the lungs is a diagnostic procedure during which a doctor removes a small portion of the lung tissue for further evaluation. Typically, this test is performed on patients with suspected lung disease or infection, such as lung cancer or...
Iron is the most abundant trace mineral in the human body. Once your body absorbs the iron you consume in your diet, very little is excreted from the body. According to "Nutrition and You," by Joan Salge Blake, some iron is lost through your hair...
The mineral iron plays an important role in oxygen transport and helps regulate cell growth and division. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, approximately two-thirds of the iron in the body is found in red blood cells. Iron deficiency...
The mesothelium are membranes that cover the organs in the abdomen, chest cavity and reproductive system. Without the two lubricating layers of the mesothelium, our organs couldn't move freely in the presence of neighboring organs. When cells in...
Iron is the most abundant trace mineral in your body. Some of the iron you eat is expelled from the body via bleeding, hair loss and shedding skin cells, but approximately 95 percent of the iron in your body is recycled and reused, according to...
