Lipids are fats. You not only consume lipids when you eat food, you also use them for a variety of purposes in the body. For instance, the cell membrane that surrounds every one of your body cells is made up of a variety of different lipids, and...
Cholesterol is a type of lipid that can be made by the body or come from your diet. Cholesterol has a number of roles in your body and is found in cell membranes. Altering the levels of cholesterol affects how easily different substances move in...
Each cell in your body is surrounded by a cell membrane, a highly organized double-layered structure that maintains the cell's shape and creates separation between the cell, its environment and other neighboring cells. Cell membranes contain a...
Stripping the membranes is a simple procedure performed in late pregnancy to help induce labor in women who are near, at or past term. It is usually performed in a doctor's office at a routine prenatal examination, but many doctors allow their...
There are five types of membranes found within the body. Membranes are flat sheets of tissue that cover or line parts of the body and are typically composed of epithelial cells and connective tissue. Epithelial cells cover the inner and outer...
The biochemical term for fat is "lipid." A lipid is defined as a large biomolecule that has very limited solubility in water. There are many different kinds of lipids that you use for both structural and functional purposes in the body. For...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the new diet guide called MyPlate to replace the food pyramid in June 2011. This new guide recommends you include a serving of fruit at each meal. Grapefruit, with its high vitamin C content, makes a...
At the beginning of every allergy season – spring and fall – you may experience a stuffy nose and painful sinuses because of your allergies. Your nose is not stuffed because of too much mucus. Instead, it is congested because the...
The small intestine has an enormous absorptive area due to its 10- to 12-foot length, with folds and convolutions covered with finger-like projections called villi, which in turn are covered by microvilli. Together, the folds, villi and microvilli...
Most people know about cholesterol because of its ability to cause heart disease and atherosclerosis. However, cholesterol has a number of other important functions in the body. Aside from its role in making steroid hormones, cholesterol is also...
The plasma membrane, which surrounds each cell in your body, fulfills three main functions: it forms a barrier between the cell and its environment; it controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell; and it provides the means for...
Premature rupture of membranes is the early rupture (tears or bursts) of the amniotic sac, after 37 weeks gestation. Typically, a mom-to-be's water will break (or rupture) after the first stage of labor. When the membranes rupture prior to the...
A thin membrane of skin clings to the bone side of all baby back and spare ribs. Removing the membrane before cooking ribs allows the spices in a barbecue spice rub to better penetrate the meat and infuse the ribs with more flavor. The membrane is...
Although many people fight to lower cholesterol, this biomolecule is essential in human health. Cholesterol plays a role in the plasma membrane's rigidity surrounding the cell. Cholesterol also controls the types of fluids that enter the cell. Its...
Numerous herbs may be helpful for your nasal mucus membranes. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, nasal congestion occurs when the mucus membranes lining your nasal passages become swollen due to inflamed blood vessels. Flu,...
Healthy joints require a nutritious diet and appropriate exercise; however, even if you treat your joints well there is still the chance that an injury or normal wear and tear could cause joint problems. Treatments such as prescription medications...
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy type of fat obtained through diet and also produced by the liver. Because high cholesterol levels are associated with cardiovascular disease, cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation. But cholesterol is essential for...
The oral membranes cover your lips and line your mouth and upper throat. These tissues, also known as the oral mucosa, normally remain moist due to the secretion of saliva. Your nutrition affects the health of your oral membranes. Certain...
During pregnancy, a fetus is protected from the outside world by the amniotic sac, a tough, fluid-filled membrane that encircles it. According to the University of Alabama, the membranes rupture before labor starts in around 10 percent of...
A membrane called the conjunctiva covers the white of the eye and the underside of the eyelids. If irritated or inflamed, the white of the eye may turn red. Other symptoms may occur as well, as each cause for conjunctival inflammation often...
Mucous membranes are tissues that line organs and entrance points to your body including your nasal cavity, eyelids, windpipe and lungs, nose, mouth, urethra and genital organs. These areas are the first to be hit by invading parasites and...
According to Merck, the mucous membranes that line the nasal cavity are full of blood vessels and hairline projections called cilia. The blood vessels in the mucous membranes warm the air, while the cilia filter out dirt and other particles coming...
The plasma membrane surrounds cells and is crucial for their life. It acts as a selective barrier, preventing the entry of unwanted materials from the environment on one hand, and the exit of needed metabolites on the other. One of the major...
Benefits to using reverse osmosis systems exist whether you live in a city with water treatment facilities or use water from another source. Chemicals like chlorine, commonly used as a means of controlling quality, may not always be the best...
What do the common cold, the flu, herpes and AIDS have in common? Viruses cause them. There's more. Hepatitis, polio, RSV, Ebola, foot-and-mouth disease, coxsackievirus, Kaposi's sarcoma, some encephalitis and HPV don't even complete the list of...
Cholesterol is a lipid, which is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by the liver and obtained through eating certain foods. Although you may only think of cholesterol in terms of heart disease and strokes, it is actually an essential part of your...
Although thin basement membrane disease sounds like something that would affect the lower levels of your house, it's actually an often-inherited disorder that affects the kidneys. This disorder, also called benign familial hematuria, affects...
According to the Mayo Clinic, the inflammation of the sinus membranes is not caused by an infection; instead, it is the inflammation that allows infection to set in. The most common causes of sinus membrane inflammation are: allergies, a deviated...
With more than 100 viruses that can cause the common cold, it seems that illness is sometimes inevitable. A sore throat, watery eyes and swollen nasal passages make for a miserable day and difficult night's sleep. Among the many remedies you might...
