Body systems rely on a balance of electrolytes, enzymes, and hormones like cortisol. Understand fat metabolism, urinary output, and energy system functions.
Cortisol is the primary hormone released by the body during times of stress. Although cortisol does have necessary functions in the body, such as regulating energy and dictating energy sources, elevated levels, particularity over extended periods of time, can have several negative side effects.
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Potassium levels in the body must be carefully managed to avoid complications that arise with high or low levels. Potassium supplements may be appropriate if your body is deficient in this nutrient. Several different types of potassium supplements are available.
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Symptoms of final stage colon cancer can vary, and they typically depend on the areas of the body affected by the cancer. Abdominal pain or other gastrointestinal symptoms are common. They may arise from the cancer itself, scarring from previous radiation or surgery, medications or palliative chemotherapy.
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A pediatrician orders a creatinine test as part of a screening to check for decreased glomerular filtration rate. The GFR is directly linked to kidney function. Health care providers use this test to determine how well the kidneys are working. Pediatric reference ranges are based on the child's age.
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Cells are the simplest units of life. In some organisms, cells function as the complete living creature--bacteria, for instance, consist of only a single cell. In other organisms, many cells working together comprise the organism.
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Almost everyone has problems with occasional constipation, and approximately 63 million people in North America have persistent constipation problems, according to an April 2004 "American Journal of Gastroenterology" article.
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Cells in the human body require many compounds to survive. The main substances found in every cell are a combination of lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and proteins.
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More than 2,000 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates began categorizing diseases in a scientific way. This practice continues into modern times. The World Health Organization's current disease classification system can be summarized in 10 broad areas.
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The intestines are highly specialized organs responsible for the digestion of food and the absorption of its nutrients. Despite following a balanced and nutritious diet, you might still fall short of your nutrient needs if you can't absorb nutrients properly.
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If you find yourself hustling to the washroom soon after drinking a cup of coffee, you aren't experiencing an abnormal reaction to your choice of beverage. Although caffeinated coffee affects everyone differently, it commonly results in an urge to have a bowel movement.
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According to Minnesota State University's Emuseum, one of the most important ways the skeletal system works with other systems is via protection. Of particular importance is the skeletal system's ability to protect the central nervous system, which is made up of the spinal cord and the brain.
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The immune system is responsible for protecting the body against invasion by diseases and other pathogens including viruses, bacteria and parasites. The immune system is also involved in the normal healing response to trauma as a protection against infection.
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5 to 20 percent of Americans contract the influenza (flu) virus each year. Flu produces a spectrum of disease, ranging from mild, self-limited respiratory disease to life-threatening pneumonia.
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Creatinine comes from your body's everyday use of your muscles -- and also from eating meat. As blood flows through the kidneys, creatinine is excreted out into your urine along with other waste products.
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New discoveries about how the body's systems function and work together continue to emerge almost daily. However, a very basic and fundamental understanding of the body's integrated working parts and organ systems has been in place for centuries.
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Blood sugar, or glucose, serves as the fuel your body uses to generate energy. The level of glucose in your blood remains fairly stable, slightly rising after eating and declining a small amount between meals or after exercising. Blood glucose can be measured in many ways.
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A certain amount of potassium is required by all cells, but too much can be harmful and even fatal. Potassium overdose usually causes no symptoms until the blood potassium rises above 6.5 or 7.0 meq/L. When present, symptoms typically involve the nerves, heart or digestive system.
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When you exercise, many physiological changes take place to make sure your muscles have enough oxygen to do their job. You blood vessels are able to widen and narrow to redirect the flow of oxygenated blood to your exercising muscles.
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Diseases and illnesses target all body systems, such as the circulatory, digestive, reproductive, endocrine, neurological, skeletal and muscular systems. Sources of diseases include genetics, bacteria, poor nutrition, viruses, parasites and fungi.
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Bones might be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of calcium, but calcium performs other tasks in the body besides building strong bones. Calcium also helps transmit nerve impulses and regulate muscle contractions.
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