The varicella zoster virus, a member of the herpes virus family, is the causative organism for two common infectious diseases: chickenpox and shingles. It used to be one of the most easily recognizable childhood diseases until the advent of the...
Herpangina is a childhood illness characterized by painful sores or ulcers in the mouth, lips, throat and palate. It is caused by several viruses, most notably the coxsackie virus and echovirus, which belong to the family of the enteroviruses. It...
The male reproductive system starts with the testes. The testes consist of two circular glands that reside in a skin sack called the scrotum. The testes produce two major products of the reproductive system called sperm and testosterone. The sperm...
Oral herpes is a primary infection with the Herpes simplex virus (HSV). In many children, initial infection with HSV is mild and either goes unnoticed or is mistakenly attributed to teething. However, the infection can cause a condition called...
Neonatal herpes is a potentially fatal infection caused by the herpes virus. Neonates catch the virus during the birthing process, especially if it is a vaginal delivery and the mother has active herpes lesions at the time. But most babies with...
Skin infections and contact allergies provoke inflammation and immune responses in the skin tissues. These responses often lead to the development of itching and the eruption of fluid-filled blisters, or vesicles, in the affected skin areas. In...
The mature male reproductive system performs two critical roles: producing steroid hormones-primarily testosterone-and manufacturing the male gametes, sperm, and their surrounding fluid, semen. Steroid hormones support sperm production, or...
The prostate is an organ of the male reproductive system. More than 186,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Prostate cancer is staged I through IV and takes into...
Neurotransmitters -- signalling molecules produced in your nervous system -- allow for communication between nerve cells, facilitating brain functioning, nerve signalling to muscle tissue and a number of other neurological processes. Calcium from...
Varicella, or chickenpox, is primarily a disease seen in childhood, but it is not uncommon in adults. Varicella is spread by direct contact or inhalation of airborne droplets. If a person touches the fluid from an infected lesion, they could...
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...
Vasectomies work by disabling certain parts of the male reproductive system ensuring that sperm cannot be ejaculated. Sperm are made in the testicles and then travel from the testicles to another organ, called the prostate, via two tubes called...
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate, the gland found underneath the bladder in men that helps make seminal fluid. Once cancer is diagnosed, staging is done to describe the spread and extent of the cancer. Staging is also a standardized way...
Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella, or chickenpox, virus. It occurs more commonly in people older than 50 years old and in those with a weakened immune system.
You may never think of your innocent little pumice stone the same way once you realize it's a piece of frothy, bubbly lava that was violently ejected from a volcano, then left to cool and harden. If the lava that became a piece of pumice had been...
Your body contains more calcium than any other mineral. Even though 99 percent of your calcium is stored in your bones and teeth, the small amount in your circulation plays a vital role in maintaining optimal function of your muscles, nerves and...
Once a person is infected with the herpes virus, skin symptoms will appear, disappear and return. Flare ups on the surface of the skin or mucous membranes may occur whenever the person experiences triggers such as stress, sun exposure,...
The most common complications of prostate surgery are urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. For otherwise healthy men with cancer confined to the prostate gland, a radical prostatectomy, or removal of the entire prostate, seminal vesicles...
There are two types of herpes viruses, type 1 and type 2. Although type 1 is usually associated with lesions on the face and the central nervous systems, and type 2 is associated with genital infection, each can cause disease anywhere in the body....
Just as we receive and act on signals from our environment, our cells also receive and act on signals from their environment, our bodies. This is a necessary biological occurrence that keeps cells alive and functioning. Insulin is a hormone...
Shingles is a disease that results from a reactivation of the herpes zoster virus, which is responsible for causing chickenpox. The body is never able to completely eliminate the virus, which can allow the virus to reactivate. Shingles can occur...
Electrolytes are charged minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate and magnesium that are vitally important for the body. Cells maintain an electrical potential; they are negatively charged relative to their surroundings. Signals can...
The prostate gland makes up part of the male reproductive system. Located near the colon, the prostate gland releases hormones that contribute to a normal hormone balance, and secretes prostate fluid that forms a component of semen. Prostate...
Nicotine gum is a nicotine replacement product that helps tobacco users quit smoking. It provides a strong deterrent to smoking by delivering nicotine in a safe form so that the body can manage withdrawn symptoms, such as irritability and...
The prostate gland, a small structure located near the bladder and colon, makes up a part of the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer, a disease stemming from the uncontrolled growth of prostate cells, represents a common form of cancer in...
Navy SEALs develop world class physical and mental motivation in training. Marathoners push through a physical barrier that could not be broken without motivation. People accomplish tasks every day that many would consider impossible. Have you...
The prostate is located below the bladder in males and is a small gland about the size of a walnut, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The urethra is the narrow tube that runs along the length of the penis, runs directly through the...
Dextrose is an older term, still commonly used in medicine today, for the sugar glucose. Glucose is a six-carbon sugar molecule that is a predominant source of energy in the blood. It is derived from food and transferred from the blood into cells....
